Editing Charles Albert of Sardinia (section)

== First period in Turin (1814–1821) ==
[[File:Carlo Alberto giovane.jpg|upright|thumb|left|Youthful portrait of Charles Albert]]
After Napoleon was defeated for good, the new king [[Louis XVIII]] celebrated the restoration of the [[Bourbon dynasty]] in Paris on 16 May 1814. Among those present at the festivities were Princess Maria Christina di Carignano and her children Charles Albert and Elisabetta. Despite their past, the family was treated well, although Charles Albert had to renounce the title of Count of the Empire, which had been conferred upon him at the military school in Bourges and the annuity which Napoleon had granted him.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=34–35}}</ref>

The re-establishment of peace in Europe meant that Charles Albert could return to Turin, and he was advised to do so by his tutor, count [[Alessandro Di Saluzzo di Menusiglio]], and by Albertina. He left Paris (and his step-father) and arrived in Turin on 24 May. There he was welcomed affectionately by King [[Victor Emmanuel I]] (Charles Emmanuel IV had abdicated in 1802) and his wife Queen [[Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia|Maria Theresa]], by birth a Habsburg archduchess. His property and lands were restored to him and he was granted the [[Palazzo Carignano]] as a residence.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=35–36}}</ref> Given the dynastic situation (neither Victor Emmanuel nor his brother Charles Felix had male children)<ref>Victor Emmanuel I's second child had been male but died at the age of three, and his other four children were daughters who were excluded from the succession by [[Salic law]]. Charles Felix had no children at all.</ref> Charles Albert was now the heir presumptive.

Thus he was assigned a mentor to counter the liberal ideas that he had learned in France. The first of these was Count [[Filippo Grimaldi del Poggetto]], and after he had failed, the dragoon, [[Policarpo Cacherano d'Osasco]]. Although he was better equipped for the task, he was not able to influence the mindset of Charles Albert, who began to suffer from anxiety at this time.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=36–40}}</ref>

=== Marriage and personality ===
[[File:Maria Teresa di Toscana.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Maria Theresa of Austria (1801–1855)|Maria Theresa of Austria]], Charles Albert's wife]]
The court decided that marriage would provide the prince with internal equilibrium. The chosen bride, accepted by Charles Albert, was the sixteen-year-old daughter of [[Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Ferdinand III of Tuscany]], [[Maria Theresa of Austria (1801–1855)|Archduchess Maria Theresa]], a relative of Queen Maria Theresa. Charles Albert travelled to the [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] and then to Rome on 18 March 1817 and, after a 6-month engagement, married Maria Theresa on 30 September in [[Florence Cathedral]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=41–44}}</ref> The wedding was followed by a ball organized by the Sardinian embassy in Florence. After that, on 6 October, the couple departed for Piedmont. On 11 October, they reached [[Castello del Valentino]] and from there they made their formal entrance into Turin.<ref>{{harvnb|Comandini, I|pp=954, 956}}</ref>

The young Maria Theresa was very shy and religious, quite different from Charles Albert's temperament. The couple resided in the Palazzo Carignano, to which Charles Albert began to invite young intellectuals with whom he shared liberal ideas. The most intimate of these friends were [[Annibale Santorre di Rossi de Pomarolo, Count of Santarosa|Santorre di Rossi de Pomarolo]], [[Roberto d'Azeglio]], [[Giacinto Collegno]], [[Cesare Balbo]], Guglielmo Moffa di Lisio Gribaldi and Carlo Emanuele Asinari di San Marzano.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=46–47}}</ref>

In these years, Charles Albert also suffered from a deep religious crisis. This led to a friendship with the French diplomat Jean Louis de Douhet d'Auzers and a visit by the prince to Rome in 1817 to visit the former king Charles Emmanuel IV, who had retired to a monastery. In the years following his marriage, however, Charles Albert had extramarital affairs with several women, including [[Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, duchesse de Berry|Marie Caroline de Bourbon]], widow of the [[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry|Duke of Berry]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=52–55, 57}}</ref> Maria Theresa had two miscarriages – the second in 1819 as a result of a carriage accident – but gave birth to a son on 14 March 1820, [[Victor Emmanuel II|Victor Emmanuel]], the future [[King of Italy]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|p=59}}</ref>

=== Participation in the Revolution of 1821 ===
[[File:Carlo Alberto e i congiurati del 1821.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Charles Albert promised his support to the conspirators behind the 1821 revolution, in a print from 1850 to 1875.]]
After the 1820 uprising in [[Cadiz]], King [[Ferdinand VII of Spain]] was forced to grant the [[Spanish Constitution of 1812]]. The hope of obtaining similar constitutions arose in many European states. Insurrections broke out in Naples and Palermo. On 6 March 1821, [[Annibale Santorre di Rossi de Pomarolo, Count of Santarosa|Santorre di Rossi de Pomarolo]], [[Giacinto Collegno|Giacinto Provana di Collegno]], Carlo di San Marzano and Guglielmo Moffa di Lisio (all military officers, officials, or sons of ministers) and Roberto d'Azeglio met with Charles Albert. The young liberals were ready to act and had identified the prince as a new type of man for the House of Savoy — one ready to break with the absolutist past.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|p=63}}</ref>

The conspirators had no desire to abolish the House of Savoy, but claimed, on the contrary, that they hoped to force it to grant reforms which would grant it the gratitude of the people. During the months of preparation, Charles Albert had assured them of his support and on 6 March he confirmed this, declaring that he supported armed action. They were to raise troops, surround King [[Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia|Victor Emmanuel I]]'s residence at [[Castle of Moncalieri|Moncalieri]] and demand that he grant a constitution and declare war on Austria. Charles Albert was to play the role of mediator between the conspirators and the king.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=65, 76}}</ref>

On the morning of the next day, 7 March, Charles Albert had second thoughts and informed the conspirators of this. Indeed, he summoned the Minister of War, [[Alessandro Di Saluzzo di Menusiglio]] and told him that he had discovered a revolutionary plot. There was an attempt to halt the conspiracy, which nevertheless continued to grow bolder on the next day, with another visit by di Rossi and di Marzano. Yet, they grew uncertain and gave orders to cancel the insurrection, which was due to break out on 10 March. The same day, Charles Albert, full of regret, raced to Moncalieri, where he revealed everything to Victor Emmanuel I and begged for a pardon. The situation had reached a tipping point. In the night, the garrison of [[Alessandria]], commanded by one of the conspirators (Guglielmo Ansaldi), rose up and took control of the city. At this point, the revolutionaries decided to act, despite the abandonment of the prince.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=75–79}}</ref>

=== Regency and Spanish Constitution ===
[[File:Bernero - Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia.jpg|upright|thumb|left|Victor Emmanuel I]]
[[File:Carlo Alberto costituzione spagnola.jpg|upright|thumb|The decree by which Charles Albert announced the Spanish Constitution of 1821]]
On 11 March 1821, Victor Emmanuel I called a meeting of the council of the Crown, in which Charles Albert also participated. Along with the majority of those who were present, Charles Albert declared his willingness to grant the constitution. Rumours spread however that armed intervention to restore order in Italy by a joint Austrian and Russian force were imminent. The king decided to wait, therefore, but the next day, the Citadel of Turin fell into the hands of the rebels. Victor Emmanuel I then asked Charles Albert and [[Cesare Balbo]] to negotiate with the [[Carbonari]], but the latter refused any contact with the two. That evening, as the armed uprising spread, the king abdicated in favour of his brother Charles Felix. Since the latter was in [[Modena]] at the time, Charles Albert was appointed regent.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=85–89, 98}}</ref>

Only 23 years of age, Charles Albert found himself in charge of resolving a serious political crisis which he himself had been responsible for provoking. The old ministers abandoned him and he was forced to nominate a new government: the lawyer [[Ferdinando dal Pozzo]] as Minister of the Interior, the general {{ill|Emanuele Pes di Villamarina|it}} as Minister of War, and {{ill|Lodovico Sauli d'Igliano|it}} as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He tried to negotiate with the rebels, with no results. Terrified, he claimed that it was impossible to make any decisions without the agreement of the new king and therefore sent Charles Felix a letter with an account of the events that had taken place and a request for instructions. But he was also afraid that he would become the object of popular anger if he continued to delay and so, on 13 March 1821, Charles Albert published a proclamation conceding the Spanish Constitution, with the reservation that this grant was pending the approval of the king.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=91–95}}</ref>

On 14 March, the regent decided to form a Junta which would be able to act as guardians of the parliament. The head was Canon Pier Bernardo Marentini, a [[Jansenist]], who was Vicar-General of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Turin|Archdiocese of Turin]] and had been chosen as [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Piacenza–Bobbio|Bishop of Piacenza]] in 1813 but denied the role by the Pope. Charles Albert replaced the minister of war he had appointed the previous day with Santorre di Rossi, the leader of the armed uprising. On 15 March, in the presence of the Junta, Charles Albert swore to observe the Spanish Constitution, which had been amended with a few clauses requested by Victor Emmanuel I's queen, Maria Theresa.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=95–96}}</ref>

Meanwhile, the representatives of liberals of [[Lombardy]] had arrived: [[Giorgio Pallavicino Trivulzio]], {{ill|Gaetano Castiglia|it|Gaetano De Castillia}}, and {{ill|Giuseppe Arconati Visconti|it}}. They asked Charles Albert to declare war on Austria in order to free Milan, but the prince refused. Instead, he accepted the advice of Cesare Balbo, who reported the discipline of the armed forces, stopped excesses and firmly established the troops loyal to the king. Charles Felix himself, however, had responded very badly to the news of his brother's abdication, which he considered an "abominable act of violence" and, from Modena, he sent an order to Charles Albert, ordering him to come to [[Novara]], and declaring any actions taken in the name of the king after the abdication of his brother, including the concession of the Spanish Constitution, to be null and void.<ref>{{harvnb|Bertoldi|pp=97–99}}</ref>