Figure 1.--This is a portrait of King Simeon and his sister Princess Marie-Louise. It is undated but was probably take after the mysterious death of their father King Boris III in 1943. |
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Simeon Borissov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born in 1937. As heir to the throne, Simeon was given the title Prince of Tirnovo. He spent his early childhood with his parents and elder sister Princess Marie-Louise, in the palace of Vrana, near Sofia, where he began school.
He succeeded his popular father, Boris III, as king of Bulgaria during World War II in 1943. A regency was forned as he was only 6-years old at the time. The Germans were already retreating in Ruissia at the time. The Red Army reached Bulgaria in 1944. After the occupation by the Red Army, King Simeon remained the nominal ruler under a new council of regents. Power of course was in thehands of the occupying Russians. The Russians in 1946 rigged a plebiscite which abolished the monarchy. Bulgaria became one of the Russians' Eastern European satellites. The 9-year old king went into exile. The Royal exiles sailed to Alexandria, Egypt, where the young King went to Victoria College, a British school (1951-57). He then attended the Lycee Francais, Madrid, Spain (1958-59), Valley Forge Military Academy, Wayne, Pennsylvania (1959-62). He specialized in Business Administration and Law courses. He married in 1962 and has five children. He speaks Bulgarian, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and fair knowledge of Arabic and Portuguese. His religion is Eastern Orthodox. He became a Spamish businessman.
Prince Simeon's father was King Boris III. Boris'father was Ferdinand I of Saxe-Coburg-Goth, King of Bulgaria (1861-1948). His parents were August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1818- ) and Clementine d'Orleans (1817- ). Ferdinand I lived until 1948, but abdigated in 1918 as a result of Bulgaria's disastrous participation in World War I. Boris' mother was a French princess, Marie Louise de Bourbon of Parma (1870-99). Her father was King Louis Philippe I d'Orleans, of France (1773- ). Her mother was Queen Marie-Amélie de Bourbon, Queen of France (1782- ). Marie Louise died at a very young age in 1899. She was only 20 years old, leaving four young children. King Ferdinand remarried in 1908 to Elenor Reuss (1860-1917). Her fther was Henry IV, Prince Reuss zu Köstritz (1821- ). I do not know how Boris got on with his step mother. King Boris mairred Giovanna, Princess of Italy (House of Savoy) in 1930. Her father was King Victor Emmanuel III de Savoie of Italy (1869- ). Her mother was Helen of Montenegro (Petrovic-Njegos) (1873- ).
Simeon Borissov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born in 1937. As heir to the throne, Simeon was given the title Prince of Tirnovo. He spent his early childhood with his parents and elder sister Princess Marie-Louise, in the palace of Vrana, near Sofia, where he began school.
The NAZIs duting the 1930s gave considerable diplomatic effort to drawing the Balkan coyntries unto the German orbit. The King resisted as best he could, but by 1941, NAZI military power and Bulgarian Fascist elements left King Boris III few options. Hitler as part of a Balkans settlement transferred Southern Dobruda from Romania to Bulgaria (1940). Romania had fought with the Allies in World War I while Bulgaria had joined the Central Powers. The NAZIs applied considerable force and Bulgaria finally joined the Axis and agreed to the entry of German forces (March 1, 1941). The NAZIs offered Bulgaria the return of Macedonia. Bulgaria participated in the attack on Greece and Yugosalvia (April 1941). The Bulgarians in large part because of King Boris III who was very popular. The King refused to turn Bulgarian Jews over to the NAZIs as part of the Holocaust. The King employed a range of delaying tactics. The Bulgarians did, however, turn over Jews in the occupied areas of Greece and Yugoslavia. Bulgaria also refused to partcipate in the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941). King Boris who was very popular died mysteriously in 1943, possibly by heart attack or by assassination. The King's 6-year old son, Simeon II, succeeded under a regency. The Red Army driving the NAZIs back on the Eastern Front reached Romania (1944). The Soviets next declared war on Bulgaria abd crossed the Danube (September 8, 1944). Bulgarian army units and partisan bans joined with the Red army and quickly took Sofia. There was only limited NAZI resistance. Unlike Romania with the key Ploesti oil fields, Bulgaria wa of only marginal strategic value to the Reich. The Soviets on the next day seized the rest of Bulgaria (September 9). This day is now known as Liberation Day.
Simeon succeeded his popular father, Boris III, as king of Bulgaria during World War II in 1943. A regency was forned as he was only 6-years old at the time. The Germans were already retreating in Ruissia at the time. The Red Army reached Bulgaria in 1944. Given Bulgaria's location, the Germans wee no longer capable of contesting the country and were in the process of withdrawing from the Balkans. After the occupation by the Red Army, King Simeon remained the nominal ruler under a new council of regents. Power of course was in the hands of the occupying Soviets. The Russians in 1946 rigged a plebiscite which abolished the monarchy.
Bulgaria became one of the Soviets' Eastern European satellites--a particularly slavish sattelite.
The 9-year old king went into exile. The Royal exiles sailed to Alexandria, Egypt, where the young King went to Victoria College, a British school (1951-57). He then attended the Lycee Francais, Madrid, Spain (1958-59), Valley Forge Military Academy, Wayne, Pennsylvania (1959-62). He specialized in Business Administration and Law courses.
King Simeon married Dońa Margarita Gomez-Acebo y Cejuela (1962). The royal couple have five children. Simeon and Margarita proved to be excellent parents. They inspired a sence of hard work and achievement.:
Ptince Kardam was born in 1963. Hre received the title Prince of Tirnovo granted to the crown prince.
He attended Clark University and received a B.A. in International Economics and Philosophy (1986).
He then earned a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Pennsylvania State University,(1889).
Prince Kyril was born in 1964. He received the title Prince of Preslav. He earned a B.A. Physics and Corporate Finance from Princeton University (1986). He has married.
Prince Kubrat was born in 1965. He was given the title Prince of Panagiurishte. He attended the Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, and was awarded a M.D. General Surgery (digestive system) (1990). He has married.
Prince Konstantin-Assen was born in 1967. He was given the title Prince of Vidin. He attended ICADE, earning aegree in Business Administration (1990). He has married.
Princess Kalinawas born in 1972. Last we heard she was in high school.
King Simeon speaks Bulgarian, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and fair knowledge of Arabic and Portuguese. His religion is Eastern Orthodox. He became a Spanish businessman.
Simeon visited Bulgaria several after the fall of Communism (1989). He returned to Bulagria to enter politics (April 2001). He formed the SIMEON II NATIONAL MOVEMENT. Simeon II has stressed that his party is not a royalist Movement. The former king has stated that, "Let it be clearly understood right away that the issue of "kingdom" is not on the Movement's agenda. There are priorities that are far more important and interesting for the people. I am realist, a pragmatic and a worldly man. Let us not waste the coming months in disputes on the monarchy-or-a-republic theme. The theme will not help improve the living standards of our compatriots. That is why we must look at the concrete things we can do to change the image of the country." His party, which fuled a wave of enthusiam for Bulgaria's pre-communist past, won a June 2001 election. Many Bulgarians hope that their former king can help the finally troubled country address deep-seated financial problems. At this time there appears to be no great sentiment to restore the monarchy.
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