Italy could be in for a very glamorous First Lady at the helm in the not too-distant future – as Prince Emanuele Filiberto has hinted he may relaunch his politics bid.
The Prince of Venice, as he is sometimes known, is heir to the now defunct House of Savoy and, as well as running a catering business, has also shown a keen eye for politics.
By his side in recent months has been his new girlfriend, Mexican model Adriana Abascal – who would certainly bring a glamorous touch to any potential political campaign.
The model, 54 – who won fifth place in the Miss Universe pageant in 1989 and has been married three times – has absorbed the prince into her jet-setting lifestyle over the past year, sharing dazzling snaps of the two of them to her thousands of social media followers.
Emanuele, 53, himself is more popular than ever in Italian politics and, in an interview with Italian paper Il Giornale earlier this week, appeared to hint he could be making a political comeback in the near future – telling journalists ‘never say never’ when asked about gunning for a top position in government.
He’s even expressed a desire to become the Italian Prime Minister, telling The Times in 2008: ‘I hope that in 10 or 15 years I will have enough support to reach the top of the Italian government.’
When asked about potentially leading the country, he said at the time: ‘Why not? I’m only 35. I’ll take it step by step, like a bird making his nest.’
If the royal does launch a committed campaign to succeed Giorgia Meloni – he will provide Italy with one of the most glamorous First Ladies in the world.
Mexican model Adriana Abascal could be Italy’s very glamorous First Lady if Prince Emanuel Filiberto decides to relaunch his politics campaign (pictured behind the scenes of their Dior campaign)
In March, the prince revealed he has been separated from the French actress Clotilde Courau, with whom he has two daughters, for ‘four years’ – and since, has seemed to show all signs of settling down with Adriana, who herself is ‘enchanted’ by her new partner and ‘loves Italians‘.
In January, local media snapped the prince and the 54-year-old businesswoman, who runs her own luxury shoe brand, Maison Skorpios, kissing after a fashion event that they attended together in Seville.
When he was asked whether Miss Mexico 1988, Adriana Abascal, could be labelled ‘your new partner’, to which he simply replied: ‘You can write that I am very happy.’
Adriana herself lives between Paris and LA, with more than a million followers on Facebook and hundreds of thousands on Instagram.
Emanuele told Gala in June: ‘Adriana and I get along very well. We each live our own lives and we work a lot. We are very happy when we meet up, whether in Monaco, Italy, Spain or Paris. Perhaps this little separation keeps the flame of feelings alive.’
As a model, she has been on the cover of the likes of Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire and Vanity Fair, and has walked runways for Chanel, Dior and Valentino.
The multi-talented star is also a TV host and presenter, fronting Todobebé, which aired across Latin America, and was host and judge of Desafio Fashionista.
She is the founder of Maison Skorpois, a luxury shoe brand with pairs retailing for up to £1,600 – with the signature boot named ‘Adriana’ after her.
Adriana Abascal and Prince Emanuele Filiberto at a fashion show in Seville, Spain, in January 2025
In an interview earlier this year, Emanuele was asked whether Miss Mexico 1988, Adriana Abascal (pictured), could be labelled ‘your new partner’, to which he simply replied: ‘You can write that I am very happy’
The former model (pictured) won fifth place in the Miss Universe pageant in 1989 and has been married three times
Her glamorous lifestyle is surely the envy of many on social media – and Emanuele has become a more and more permanent fixture on her sunsoaked Instagram feed.
Since they started dating, the pair have reportedly spent time together in Seville, Monaco and Paris, Adriana’s home city.
They have also enjoyed getaways to Ajacco, the Corsica capital, and Rome, where they attended a mass hosted by former Pope Francis.
The couple were pictured together in a series of holiday snaps from August and cosied up for a photoshoot with Dior in July, before a visit to Moscow in July, which she described as ‘full of magic, laughter, and a of sparkle’.
Her love life, like her partner’s, has also not been without event.
Adriana was married to Emilio Azcárraga Milmo, the billionaire who created the largest media empire in the Spanish-speaking world, from 1990 until his death aged 66 in 1997. Their was a 40-year age gap between them.
The well-known personality in Spain, especially among high society, then wed Spanish businessman Juan Villalonga in 2000 before divorcing nine years later. They share three children.
Her third husband was French entrepreneur Emmanuel Schreder but they separated in 2022. In recent years, she is also believed to have dated Maxime Falkenstein, a Belgian art lover.
Prince Emanuele Filiberto, 52, from the dethroned House of Savoy, has been separated from the French actress Clotilde Courau (pictured in Milan in 2014), with whom he has two daughters, for ‘four years’
Adriana (pictured in Seville in January with the prince) was married to Emilio Azcárraga Milmo, the billionaire who created the largest media empire in the Spanish-speaking world, from 1990 until his death aged 66 in 1997. Their was a 40-year age gap between them
In January, local media snapped the prince and the 54-year-old businesswoman (pictured at the event), who runs her own luxury shoe brand, Maison Skorpios, kissing after a fashion event that they attended together in Seville
She and Prince Emanuele appear to be a perfect match, with Adriana, said to be ‘enchanted’ with her new lover, according to Spain’s Hola magazine.
Meanwhile, in an interview in 2020, she seemed to predict the arrival of her future lover, revealing that she ‘loves Italians’ and ‘visits Venice’ every year.
In an interview with La Gazette, she said: ‘I’ve spent a lot of time in Venice, I love Italians!’ before revealing that her brand’s shoes are also Italian-made.
Elsewhere in the interview, she addressed her heritage, and her blended upbringing.
She said: ‘I’m Mexican but I’m very European as well because I come from a Spanish family and I lived in London for seven years.’
Adriana recalled working in the fashion industry aged just 17 and said it’s been her life for ‘as long as I can remember’.
She continued: ‘It’s not superficial. Fashion is not superficial for me. As women, we have to love ourselves and part of loving yourself means being put together with a certain dignity. Even if it’s just to lay on the sofa and watch Netflix!’
‘Everything I do, I do it in a Mexican way, even though I left when I was young and built myself in California.
She is a regular feature on runways and at fashion shows. Adriana Abascal is seen on the street during Paris Fashion Week SS19 wearing Valentino on September 30, 2018
Her third husband was French entrepreneur Emmanuel Schreder but they separated in 2022 (pictured in 2012)
She was married to Spanish businessman Juan Villalonga in 2000 before divorcing nine years later. They share three children
‘Everything I do every day of my life has the Salsa picante – hot sauce – the Mexican spice. I need colour in my life, I need passion, I need drama. I’m not quiet, we are not quiet. We are loud.’
The ‘playboy prince’, who once claimed he dated Kate Moss, previously announced his intention to run for office in 2020 and founded the political movement Più Italia – though it went largely unnoticed.
This week, an opinion poll showed that 90 per cent of Italians are aware of his presence as a political figure, as well as a member of high society – with the Prince quipping ‘never say never’ about his intentions to return.
According to Gala France, an opinion poll published about Prince Emanuele on September 2 showed 90 per cent of Italians know of him, 44 per cent have a favourable opinion of him, and 15 per cent believe he could change the country for the better.
Speaking about the poll, he told Il Giornale: ‘I’m pleased with what the study reveals.
‘My public service is being recognized and rewarded. I’m currently involved in many cultural and philanthropic activities, but never say never.
‘In the future, I might even opt for politics. Of course, today there’s a new relationship with the country, after all the mud they’ve thrown at us.’
Adriana (pictured in 2023) then wed Spanish businessman Juan Villalonga in 2000 before divorcing nine years later
The colourful royal is the grandson of Umberto II, the last reigning king of Italy, who was deposed in 1946 when the country became a republic.
He has previously discussed his desire to set up a royalist party to advocate for restoration of the monarchy in Italy.
The family were exiled from the country for 50 years, only being allowed to return to in 2002.
On his return to the country, he has became a major TV personality and appeared on Ballando Con Le Stelle, Italy’s version of Strictly Come Dancing, winning it in 2009.
But he’s had problems with drugs and confessed last year that he only managed to overcome his addiction with the help of his family.
In 2010, the controversial Prince claimed he had a six-month affair with Kate Moss.
The former hedge fund manager, told how Sixties star Marianne Faithfull brought the pair together, by taking Miss Moss to Filiberto’s house on the Mediterranean island of Corsica.
The Prince, who was at the time still married to Clotilde Courau, claimed: ‘Before meeting Clotilde, I had a lot of fun.
Maria Pia di Savoia (L), Emanuele Filiberto (2nd L), Clotilde Courau (C), with their daughters Princesses Vittoria and Luisa Savoia sit near the coffin of Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia as he lies in state on the eve of his funeral ceremony in Saint Hubert Chapel in the Reggia of Venaria Reale, near Turin, on February 9, 2024
‘About eight years ago, I had a relationship [with Kate Moss] and it lasted six months.
‘Then our relationship ended because that’s how things go, but I remember her as a very passionate lady.
Kate Moss has never spoken about the claims.
Just a year after his alleged affair with Kate Moss, he tied the knot with French actress Clotilde Courau in a glamorous ceremony at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome.
Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Duke and Duchess of Castro, were among the 1,200 guests in attendance.
Prior to Adriana, his friendships with singer Nadia Lanfranconi and French personality Laeticia Hallyday have been thrown into the spotlight, and he was reportedly pictured sharing a kiss in Los Angeles with the former, according to Today.it.
Emanuele shares two daughters with Clotilde, 21-year-old Vittoria, who will become the head of the Italian royal family after her father, and Luisa, 18.
