ROME — Prince Idriss al Senoussi, a great nephew of the last King of Libya and pretender to the quixotic Libyan throne, has taken time off from monitoring the turmoil in his north African homeland to attend a convivial carnival party thrown by Neapolitan hostess Guia Sospisiò, Il Messaggero reports.

Prince Senoussi, who divides his time between Rome and the United States, was accompanied by Princess Anna Maria al Sanoussi at the gathering in Rome’s posh Villa Sospisio. Other guests included the Jordanian Ambassador to Italy, Wijdan Al Hashemi, and Kurdish film director Fariborz Kamkari.

Highlight of the evening was a concert sung by Guia accompanied by her husband Ricky strumming the guitar, il Messaggero said.

Hopes for a revival of the monarchy in Libya have been boosted by the uprising against Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gadhafi with rebels raising the flag used by the monarchy before Gadaffi overthrew King Idriss in 1969 in a military coup.

The king’s grandson, London-based Prince Muhammad al Senoussi, is regarded by libya watchers as principal claimant to the throne but elegant Idriss, a well-known fixture on the Rome dolce vita scene, also stakes a persistent claim as would-be future king.