 Through its junior branch of Savoy-Carignano, the House of Savoy led the unification of Italy in 1861 and ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until 1946; they also briefly ruled the Kingdom of Spain in the 19th century.The Savoyard kings of Italy were Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I, Victor Emmanuel III, and Umberto II.The last monarch ruled for a few weeks before being deposed following the Constitutional Referendum of 1946, after which the Italian Republic was proclaimed.