The King Who Never Was is the latest in Netflix’s true crime docuseries but centered on the alleged misdemeanors of an Italian prince.
Like something out of a Hollywood film, the three-parter features an exiled heir to the Italian throne, a top German model, the tragic death of a holidaymaker and rumors of corruption and cover-ups.
The story focuses on one night in 1978 on an islet off Corsica, when 19-year-old German holidaymaker Dirk Hamer was fatally shot while asleep on a yacht. Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, the exiled heir to the Italian throne, was arrested for the killing.
However, since then there have been continued accusations that he used the power behind his lost throne to evade justice. So did Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy kill Dirk Hamer? Here are all your questions answered…
What is The King Who Never Was about?
The three-part series tells the story of Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, the Italian heir who found himself embroiled in the 1978 killing of 19-year-old Dirk Hamer, and the subsequent 38-year campaign by Hamer’s sister Birgit for justice.
The twisty-turny documentary uses photos and footage of the fateful night, hears from Dirk’s sister Birgit, as well as witnesses who were at the scene, and even features exclusive interviews with Emanuele himself where he provides insights into his perspective on Dirk’s tragic death.
Who is Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy in The King Who Never Was?
Born on 12 February 1937, Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, Prince of Naples, was destined to take over the throne of Italy from his father Umberto II.
However, following the Italian institutional referendum in 1946, which led to the creation of the Italian Republic, his family were exiled to Switzerland and were unable to return to Italy by law. That law was finally overturned in 2002 when Emanuele returned to his home country for the first time in 56 years.
Emanuele remains the last heir to the throne of Italy. He married Swiss former water skiing champion Marina Doria 1971 and has a son, Prince Emanuele Filiberto, who also features in the series.
What happened on the night Dirk Hamer died in The King Who Never Was?
On 17 August 1978 German model Birgit Hamer and her brother Dirk joined a group of glamorous Italian friends on a boat trip to the Mediterranean island of Cavallo, a French island off Corsica and the playground of the Savoy family.
When the sea turned rough, the group were forced to stay overnight, which is when events took a bizarre and tragic turn. Witnesses from the Italian group claim Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy came over to their moored boats in a dinghy, threatening them with a rifle.
During an argument two shots rang out. One travelled through the cabin walls of the boat Dirk had been asleep on, wounding him in the stomach and leg. Dirk had 19 surgeries before he died on 7 December that year, aged just 19.
Shortly after the incident, Emanuele was taken into custody in Corsica and questioned. A few days later he allegedly signed a letter admitting civic liability for what would turn out to be Dirk’s fatal injury. Meanwhile, two shell casings belonging to his M1 rifle were reportedly found.
Why did it take so long for a trial to take place?
Emanuele was granted bail on 6 October 1978 and fled back to Switzerland. After that the investigation stalled amid vanishing evidence and allegations of witness intimidation.
It took a further 12 years of campaigning by Dirk’s sister Birgit before the case was taken up again and Emanuele was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
What happened at the trial of Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy?
The trial took place over five days at Assizes Court in Paris in November 1991. But Emanuele rescinded his previous admission of guilt and claimed he didn’t fire the fatal shot that killed Dirk Hamer after all.
Instead, his defense centered on his insistence that there were four shots that rang out that night, not two as originally suspected, which meant there must have been a second shooter who killed Dirk.
Jurors found Emanuele not guilty of causing Dirk’s death, although he was sentenced to five months on parole for not having a license for his rifle.
Was there a cover up?
That’s the question at the centre of the series. Dirk’s sister Birgit believes there was and claims that Emanuele used his power behind his lost throne to influence the conduct of the investigators and the defence lawyers.
The bullet extracted from Dirk’s body bizarrely went missing, while Emanuele later rescinded his written admission of guilt, claiming he was in a state of shock at the time he penned it.
Meanwhile, only three witnesses out of the 30 young Italians on Cavallo at the time of Dirk’s death were called to testify at court, and prosecutors produced character witnesses for Emanuele that had nothing to do with the case.
Did Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy kill Dirk Hamer?
Throughout the series Emanuele continues to deny any responsibility. Yet there’s a shocking twist in episode three. In 2006 the Italian heir was arrested again, this time on allegations of bribery, extortion, forgery and sex trafficking. He was acquitted in 2010 and cleared of all charges.
However, while in jail he reportedly talked about the Cavallo incident to a cellmate, unaware he’d been wiretapped. When the tapes were released in 2011 they were damning. In them, Emanuele is allegedly heard mocking the French judges for acquitting him, saying he managed to trick them. ‘I must say I was guilty,’ he’s heard saying. ‘The bullet hit his leg.’
However, Emanuele insists the tapes were a set-up and that he never said any of those things. He continues to deny any wrongdoing, while French law means the case can’t be reopened.
Where can I watch The King Who Never Was?
Netflix's new true crime series The King Who Never Was is in Italian with English subtitles and all three episodes are available to stream now.
