Italian Princess, 21, Crashes “Headfirst” Into Wall on Motorcycle

The moment royal onlookers and motorcycling fans alike gasped in shock as 21-year-old Duchess of Savoia Princess Alessandra di Savoia was involved in a gruesome high-speed motorcycle accident that resulted in a fractured collarbone after crashing into a stone wall head-first on Wednesday afternoon outside the famous city of Florence.

As reported by a person in the royal entourage, Princess Alessandra had lost grip of her new Ducati Panigale V4 and crashed on a solo ride in the countryside. The high-performance racing bike, capable of speeds exceeding 300 km/h, was a present from her older brother, Prince Emanuele. The Princess was very lucky to survive the crash with just a broken collarbone, bruised ribs, and minor facial abrasions. The princess continues to recuperate in a private wing of San Giovanni Hospital in Florence after initial surgery.

Here is what the princess said:
“I really shouldn’t be here. I remember when I pulled on the brakes, and the bike didn’t react like I expected. I just saw the wall hurtling towards me fast, and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up with my helmet smashed next to me. I’m just lucky to be alive.”
The princess uses a sincere expression of thanks for the emergency workers who came minutes after the accident, and to the unidentified witness who called for help.

Both tabloids and gossip have dubbed Princess Alessandra, who is frequently called the “Rebellious Rose of Rome,” as a headline maker. Alessandra has surfed in Sardinia and skydived in Dubai. This pattern of behavior has made the Princess a beacon for all that is rebellious and which pushes the norm of how royalty are expected to behave.
Alessandra recently made fashion news by making a splashy appearance on the pages of Vogue Italia, calling her love of motorsport “a beautiful mix of danger and discipline.”

Just last month, she appeared in an amateur women’s road racing event in Emilia-Romagna, coming in 3rd place, and that makes her one of the few royals in Europe to ever participate in amateur motorcycle racing competitively.

Medical staff confirmed that the helmet the princess was wearing, although it was “destroyed” upon impact, did save the princess from receiving a potentially lethal head injury.
Images of the site where the crash happened show the red Ducati wrapped around the ancient stone wall, a front wheel buckled at a sharp angle. Skid marks stretched nearly 20 meters on the road surface, indicating a final attempt at halting the motorcycle.

Although the princess’s publicist would not say whether she will be motorcycling again in the future.
For now, Princess Alessandra is to remain under observation for at least one more week.
Sources say that her family has flown in from Turin, and even her cherished French bulldog, Leo, has been brought into the hospital to help cheer her up. One thing is certain: Alessandra di Savoia has endured one of the most terrifying times in her young life.

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