Prince of Carignano

The Prince of Carignano a titke used by the head of the senior cadet branch of the House of Savoy. It was founded by Thomas Francis of Savoy, Prince of Carignano (1596–1656), an Italian military commander who was the fifth son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. His descendants were accepted as princes étrangers at the court of France, where some held prominent positions. They eventually came to reign as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the dynasty's deposition in 1946. The Carignano branch of the House of Savoy also, briefly, supplied a king each to Spain and Croatia, as well as queens consort to Bulgaria and Portugal.

Origin
Born in Turin, Thomas Francis of Savoy was the youngest of the five legitimate sons of Charles Emmanuel I, sovereign Duke of Savoy, by his wife, Catherine Micaela of Spain (daughter of King Philip II of Spain and his consort, Elizabeth of Valois. While still a young man, he bore arms in Italy in the service of the King of Spain.

Historic figures born into the Carignano branch of the House of Savoy

 * princesse de Lamballe
 * Keeng Charles Albert of Sardinia
 * King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
 * Princess Giovanna of Savoy