Figure 1.--This colorized photograph shows the King Ferndinand I and Queen Clementine d'Orleans with Prince Boris. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken about 1898. Prince Boris is still wearing dresses.

Ferdinand's father was August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1818- ). His mother was French Princess Antoinette (Antonia) Kohary (1797- ). Ferdinand had four brothers and sisters. Ferdinand married Marie Louise (Bourbon) of Parma in 1893. Ferdinand and Marie Louise had four children. Boris III (1894- ) was the eldest. Prince Alexander who was a member of the Hessian royal family and a nephew of Tsar Alexander II. After he was ousted, Ferdinad was elected by the Bulgraians creating an international incident because several countries, especially the Russians objected. Its prime minister Stefan Stambolov used his iron hand to smother the Russofile army and political opposition in the country. Substantial areas populated by Bulgarians remained outside the Principality. Insurections were brutally suppresed by the Ottomans. An internal crisis in Turkey during 1908 which resulted in the "Young Turks" coming to power, made the Bulgarians hurry. Taking advantage of the sultan's dethronement in that same year, Bulgaria declared its legal independence and became a kingdom. Up to that point, it had formally existed as an independent principality under the nominal suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria had been planning a war with the Ottomans for years. Finally they succeded in reaching an alliance with Serbia and Greece and in the First Balkan War defeated the Ottomans. King Ferndinand remained neutral in 1914, but finally joined the War on the side of the Central Powers (Germany and Austria). The Bulgarians achieved some success. The outbreak of the socialist revolution in Russia during 1917 and the Bolshevik ideas for peace and social change were gaining some popularity among the Bulgarian workers and farmers. The collapse of Germany and Austria in 1918 allowed the Allies to increase pressure on Bulgaria. Army units mutinied and almost seized Sofia in an effort to remove Ferdinand, but failed. The government was forced to seek a truce with the Allies. An armistice was concluded in September 1918. The peace which followed saw the loss of additional territories. Ferdinad was forced to abdicate in October 1918. He was, however, the only monarch of one of the Central Powers who succeded in saving the throne for his dynasty.

Parents

Ferdinand's father was August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1818- ). Augusts's father was Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1785- ). His mother was French Princess Antoinette (Antonia) Kohary (1797- ). Ferdinand's mother was Clementine d'Orleans (1817- ). Her father was King Louis Philippe I of France (1773- ). Her mother was Queen Marie-Amélie (1782- ).

Siblings

Ferdinand had four brothers and sisters. The eldest was Prince Philip (1844- ). The other children were: August (1845- ), Clotilde (1846- ), Amalie (1848- ), and Ferdinand I (1861- ) the youngest who was elected King of Bulgaria.

Childhood

Childhood Clothing

Education

Marriage

Ferdinand married Marie Louise (Bourbon) of Parma in 1893. Her father was Robert of Parma, Duke of Bourbon-Parma (1848- ). Her mother was Maria Pia (Bourbon) of Sicily (1849- ). After Queen Marie Louise died in 1899, following complications with the birth of Princess Nadeja. Ferdinand married Eleanor Reuss in 1908.

Children

Ferdinand and Marie Louise had four children. Boris III (1894- ) was the eldest. The other children were: Prince Cyril (1895- ), Princess Eudoxia (1898- ), and Princess Nadejda (1899-1958)

Prince Alexander

Prince Alexander who was a member of the Hessian royal family and a nephew of Tsar Alexander II. He served in the Russian army against the Turks (1877-78). He was appointed soverign prince of Bulgaria in 1879. Prince Alexander wanted to marry Princess Victoria of Prussia, but her brother Prince Wilhelm objected, in part because of his non-royal orgins and in part because of the unstable Bulgarian throne. Bismarck also objected, but for political reasosn--he was intent on maintaining friedly relations with the Russians. Prince Alexander was forced to abdicate largely because he objected to Bulgaria's democratic constitution and attempted to institute arbitrary royal authority. They had two children.After the ouster of Prince Alexander who had unsuccessfuly tried to rule as an autocrat, Bulgaria needed a new prince.

Election

The great powers vied over the next Bulgarian Prince. The Russians promoted the Caucasian prince Mingreli, a man known for his notorious reputation. The Great Powers opposed the Russian candidate. The National Assembly decided to assert its independence and elected prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, another German aristocrat who had served in the Austrian army, as the prince of Bulgaria. France, Germany, Russia and Turkey declared the election illegal. Britain and Austria-Hungary supported the new Bulgarian prince, with some reservations though. Bismarck did his best to convince the suscpicous Tsar Alexander III that Ferdnand's election was not an Austrian plot. [Ludwig, p. 539.] In the mealtime a new government was set up. Its prime minister Stefan Stambolov used his iron hand to smother the Russofile army and political opposition in the country. Substantial areas populated by Bulgarians remained outside the Principality. Insurections were brutally suppresed by the Ottomans .

Young Turks

An internal crisis in Turkey during 1908 which resulted in the "Young Turks" coming to power, made the Bulgarians hurry. Taking advantage of the sultan's dethronement in that same year, Bulgaria declared its legal independence and became a kingdom. Up to that point, it had formally existed as an independent principality under the nominal suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire.

First Balkan War

Bulgaria had been planning a war with the Ottomans for years. Finally they succeded in reaching an alliance with Serbia and Greece and in the First Balkan War defeated the Ottomans. Disputes with its allies over the division of the liberated lands resulted in the Second Balkan War in 1913. Hosilities were initiated at the personal order of now King Ferninand. (Following the example of Russia, the Bulgarains referred to their king as Tsar. This is one reflection of the historically close ties between the Bulgarians and Russians.) While some success was achieved against their forner allies, the entry of Romania and Turkey into the War resulted in a disatrous defeat and the loss of substantial territory. This forordained Bulgaria's entry into World War I to regain the lost territiories.

World War I

King Ferndinand remained neutral in 1914, but finally joined the War on the side of the Central Powers (Germany and Austria). The Bulgarians aschieved some success. The outbreak of the socialist revolution in Russia during 1917 and the Bolshevik ideas for peace and social change were gaining some popularity among the Bulgarian workers and farmers. Popular revolution was spured by the privations and losses of the War. The collapse of Germany and Austria in 1918 allowed the Allies to increase pressure on Bulgaria. Army units mutinied and almost seized Sofia in an effort to remove Ferdinand, but failed. The government was forced to seek a truce with the Allies. An armistice was concluded in September 1918. The peace which followed saw the loss of additional territories. This was the second national catastrophe during the reign of Ferndinand. He was forced to abdicate in October 1918. He was, however, the only monarch of one of the Central Powers who succeded in saving the throne for his dynasty.

Borris III (1918-43)

Boris III's father was Ferdinand I of Saxe-Coburg-Goth, King of Bulgaria. Boris wore dresses as a little boy. As an older boy, kneepants sailor suits seem to have been a popular outfit for both him and his broyther. Prince Boris and Cyril were commonly dressed in identical or similar outfits. Borris III was crowned in 1918 after the abdication of his father. Bulgaria's disastrous participation in World War I had made King Ferdinand very unpopular. Boris was only about 24 years old when he became king. The King was forced to assume executive authority as Fascism grew in power. The King tried to keep Bulgaria out of World War II, but with the German Army on the border, he was forced to declare war on Britain and America and to provide war materials. Despite intense German pressure, he refused to declare war on the Soviet Union or to turn over Bulgaria's Jews to the NAZIs. King Boris died under misterious conditions in 1943, possibly as a result of a hear attack or perhaps more sinister causes. His young son Prince Simeon, who was only 6 years old, was left to deal with the Germans and advancing Soviet Army.

Last Years

King Ferdinand I abdicated after World War I. He lived until 1948.

Created: September 24, 2002
Last updated: September 24, 2002