Princess Mafalda of Savoy

Princess Mafalda of Savoy (19 November 1902 – 28 August 1944) was the second daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and his wife Elena of Montenegro. In 1925, at the age of 22, she married the Landgrave of Hesse, Philipp. In 1943, during World War II, she was imprisoned in Buchenwald concentration camp, where she died. The future King Umberto II of Italy was her younger brother.

Mafalda was born a princess of Savoy. She was the second child and daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Elena of Montenegro. She was very close to her mother, and went with her mother to visit Italian military hospitals during World War I. In 1925, Mafalda married Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse. They had four children together.

In 1943, during World War II, Mafalda was tricked into going to the German Embassy, under the impression that her husband needed to speak to her. However, her husband was already imprisoned in a concentration camp, while her children had been given sanctuary in the Vatican. On her arrival at the Embassy, Mafalda was arrested and transported to Munich for questioning, then to Berlin, and finally to Buchenwald.

On 24 August 1944, the Allies bombed Buchenwald's ammunition factory. Mafalda suffered from burns on her left arm and face, and was found covered up to her neck in debris. Her arm soon became infected, and she had an operation done. The operation resulted in her death from blood loss during the night of 28 August.