| Princess of Venice (titular Queen of Italy) | |
| Birth Date: | 1969 4, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Hauts-de-Seine, France |
| Birth Name: | Clotilde Marie Pascale Courau |
| Children: | Vittoria Luisa |
Clotilde Marie Pascale di Savoia also known as Princess Clotilde of Savoy (née Clotilde Marie Pascale Courau; born 3 April 1969) is a French actress. She is married to Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia,[1] a member of the House of Savoy and the grandson of Umberto II, the last king of Italy.
Clotilde Marie Pascale Courauwas born on 3 April 1969 in Levallois-Perret, Hauts-de-Seine, France, the eldest daughter of Jean-Claude Courau (b. 1942), an engineer, and French noblewoman Catherine Marie Antoinette du Pontavice des Renardières (b. 1948), a school teacher, daughter of Count Pierre François Marie Antoine du Pontavice des Renardières (b. 1926), whose family can be traced back to the 13th century. She has three sisters named Christine, Camille and Capucine Courau. She lived as a child, with her sisters, between Paris, Egypt and Benin. The Courau sisters were brought up in the Roman Catholic religion.
In 1991, Courau was nominated for a César, for Most Promising Actress (Meilleur espoir féminin), and won a European Film Award for Best Actress, both for the film Le petit criminel (1990). She then appeared in Dusty Hughes' A Slip of the Tongue opposite John Malkovich on the stage, and in Vincent Ward's Map of the Human Heart. In 1995, she won the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti at the SACD Awards. She was nominated again for a César twice in 1996 for Best Supporting Actress (Meilleur second rôle féminin) and Most Promising Actress (Meilleur espoir féminin) both for the film Élisa. In 1998 she was named one of European cinema's "Shooting Stars" by European Film Promotion and in 2000 she won the Prix Romy Schneider. She was created a Dame of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France on 7 February 2007.
Clotilde Courau announced her engagement on 10 July 2003 and on 25 September married Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice, at the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome. At the ceremony, she wore a wedding gown designed by Valentino. Six months pregnant at the time, she was seen as a controversial bride because of her left-wing views.[2]
The couple have two daughters:
In 2009, her name was given to a rose created by the rose grower Fabien Ducher to mark the 500,000th visitor to the Jardins de l'Imaginaire, Terrasson.[3]
In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Courau signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, as well as the establishment of a corridor into Gaza for humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.[4] [5] [6]
France: Member of the Order of Arts and Letters[7] [8]