Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Simeon II Tsar of Bulgaria Tsar of Bulgaria Reign 28 August 1943 - 15 September 1946 Predecessor Boris III Successor Monarchy abolished Head regent Prince Kiril of Bulgaria 47th Prime Minister of Bulgaria Term 24 July 2001 – 17 August 2005 Predecessor Ivan Kostov Successor Sergei Stanishev Spouse Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela Issue Kardam, Prince of Turnovo Kyrill, Prince of Preslav Kubrat, Prince of Panagiurishte Konstantin-Assen, Prince of Vidin Princess Kalina of Bulgaria Names Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha House House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Father Boris III of Bulgaria Mother Giovanna of Savoy

Styles of Simeon II Reference style His Majesty Spoken style Your Majesty Alternative style Sir

Simeon of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Bulgarian: Симеон Борисов Сакскобургготски, Simeon Borissov Sakskoburggotski; German: Simeon von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha or Simeon von Wettin) or Simeon II of Bulgaria (born 16 June 1937) was head of state as the Tsar of Bulgaria from 1943 to 1946, when the monarchy was overthrown. He also served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria from 2001 until August 2005.

Simeon is one of the last living heads of state from the World War II-era, the only living person who bears the Slavonic title "Tsar", and the only monarch in history to have become the head of government through democratic elections.

Royal history

Simeon is the son of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna di Savoia and is related to various European royals, including Queen Elizabeth II, King Albert II of Belgium and the former Kings Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Humbert II of Italy. Following his birth, Boris III sent an air force officer go to the River Jordan to obtain water for Simeon's baptism in the Orthodox faith. He became Tsar on 28 August 1943 upon the death of his father, shortly after his return to Bulgaria from a meeting with Adolf Hitler. Since Tsar Simeon was only six years old upon assuming the throne, his uncle Prince Kyril of Bulgaria, Prime Minister Bogdan Filov, and Lieutenant-General Nikola Mihailov Mihov of the Bulgarian Army were appointed regents.

On 5 September 1944 the Soviet Union declared war on Bulgaria and the Red Army invaded the country. On 9 September 1944, Prince Kyril and the other regents were deposed by a Soviet-backed coup and arrested. The three regents, all members of the last three governments, Parliament deputies, heads of the army and eminent journalists were executed by the Communists in February 1945.

Towards exile

The royal family (Queen Giovanna, Simeon II, and his sister Maria-Louisa) remained at Vrana Palace near Sofia, while new communist regents were appointed. In her memoirs, Queen Giovanna recounts that Soviet soldiers at that time would entertain themselves by shooting at random in the direction where she was walking with the children. On 15 September 1946, a plebiscite was held in the presence of the Soviet army. It resulted in over 97% approval for a newly-established republic and abolished the monarchy. On 16 September 1946, the royal family was exiled from Bulgaria. However, Simeon II never signed any abdication papers (which were unlikely to have any legality anyway, as he was still a minor). The royal family first went to Alexandria, Egypt, where Queen Giovanna's father Victor Emanuel III, King of Italy, lived in exile. There, Simeon II finished Victoria College (along with Crown Prince Leka of Albania). In July 1951, the Spanish government of Francisco Franco granted asylum to the family.

Education and business career

In Madrid, Simeon studied at the Lycée Français, but did not graduate. On 16 June 1955, upon turning 18, in accordance with the Tarnovo Constitution Simeon II read his proclamation to the Bulgarian people as the Tsar of Bulgaria, confirming his will to be king of all Bulgarians and follow the principles of Tarnovo Constitution and free Bulgaria. In 1958, he enrolled at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in the United States, where he was known as "Cadet Rylski No. 6883", and graduated as a second lieutenant. Once again in Spain, Simeon studied law and business administration.

He became a businessman. For thirteen years, he was chairman of the Spanish subsidiary of Thomson, a French defence and electronics group. He was also an adviser in the banking, hotel, electronics, and catering sectors.

Monarch in exile

Simeon issued several political declarations during his exile through his "chancellery" in Madrid directed at the Communist regime in Bulgaria and his exiled compatriots. His early attempts at forming an official government in exile did not come to fruition, however.

Marriage and family

In 1962 Simeon married a Spanish aristocrat, doña Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela. The couple have five children — four sons (Kardam, Kiril, Kubrat and Konstantin) and a daughter, Kalina, all of whom subsequently married Spaniards, mostly at least part Basques but also a part Catalan. All of his sons received names of Bulgarian kings.

• Kardam (born 1962) married doña Miriam de Ungría y López. They have two sons, Boris and Beltran.
• Kirill (born 1964) married doña María del Rosario Nadal y Fuster-Puigdórfila. They have two daughters, Mafalda and Olimpia, and one son, Tassilo.
• Kubrat (born 1965) married doña Carla María de la Soledad Royo-Villanova y Urrestarazu. They have three sons: Mirko, Lukás and Tirso.
• Konstantin-Assen (born 1967) married doña María García de la Rasilla y Gortázar. They have twins, Umberto and Sofia.
• Kalina (born 1972) married don Antonio "Kitín" Muñoz y Valcárcel. They have one son, Simeon Hassan.

Political return

In 1990, after the fall of communism, Simeon was issued a new Bulgarian passport. In 1996, fifty years after the abolition of monarchy, Simeon returned to Bulgaria and was met in many places crowds cheering: "We want our King!" He did not, at that point, make any political announcements or moves.

Various estates in Bulgaria that had been nationalized under the republic were returned to Simeon and his family. In 2001 Simeon announced he would return to Bulgaria to form a new political party, the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), dedicated to "reforms and political integrity." Simeon promised that in 800 days the Bulgarian people would feel tangible positive effects of his government and would enjoy significantly higher standards of living.

NMSII won a large victory in the parliamentary elections held on 17 June 2001, capturing 120 out of the 240 seats in Parliament and defeating the two main political parties until then. Simeon gave an oath as Prime Minister of Bulgaria on 24 July, forming a coalition with the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). He gave ministerial positions in his government mainly to technocrats and Western-educated economic specialists. In 2002 his efforts were recognized by his receiving the 2002 Path to Peace Award from the Path to Peace Foundation. The development of Bulgaria's capital markets has moved forward, with the first Eurolev issue in 2004. During his time in power, Bulgaria joined NATO, but the country remained mired in the poverty, deteriorating public services, official corruption and organized crime.

In the 2005 elections, Simeon's party ranked second and participated in the grand coalition government with the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. Simeon II was given the unofficial ceremonial post of Chairman of the Coalition Council.

Views on restoration of the Bulgarian monarchy

Simeon II has never renounced his claim to the Bulgarian throne. He has used the title "Tsar of the Bulgarians" in his political statements during his exile. Since his return to Bulgaria, however, Simeon has consistently declined to reveal his views on the restoration of the Bulgarian monarchy. Upon taking office as prime minister, he took an oath to protect the country's republican Constitution. Nim129.93.17.12 (talk) 02:41, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Indeedy, he must have taken such an oath even before becoming Prime Minister. He would have taken it upon taking office as a member of the parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria. Tom129.93.17.12 (talk) 02:41, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Aha, but if Bulgaria decided to scrap the republican constitution and become a monarchy, the oath would be irrelevant. Office holders would simply transfer their allegiance to the new monarchy, democratically arrived at. Nim129.93.17.12 (talk) 02:41, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

By the way . . . what is the view of the Bulgarian people on a monarchical restoration? Has a poll been taken? Tom129.93.17.12 (talk) 02:41, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Honours

• Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
• Knight of the Order of Saint Januarius
• Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece

Ancestors

Ancestors of Simeon II of Bulgaria

16. Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 4th Prince of Kohary 8. August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 5th Prince of Kohary 17. Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág 4. Ferdinand I of Bulgaria 18. Louis-Philippe of France 9. Princess Clémentine of Orléans 19. Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies 2. Boris III of Bulgaria 20. Charles III, Duke of Parma 10. Robert I, Duke of Parma 21. Louise Marie Thérèse of France 5. Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma 22. Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies 11. Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies 23. Maria Theresa of Austria 1. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 24. Victor Emmanuel II of Italy 12. Umberto I of Italy 25. Maria Adelaide of Austria 6. Victor Emmanuel III of Italy 26. Ferdinand, 1st Duke of Genoa 13. Margherita of Savoy 27. Princess Elizabeth of Saxony 3. Giovanna of Savoy 28. Mirko Petrović Njegoš 14. Nicholas I of Montenegro 29. Anastasija Martinović 7. Elena of Montenegro 30. Petar Vukotić 15. Milena Vukotić 31. Jelena Voivodić

Bibliography

Books

In addition to the books listed in the References, the following may be mentioned:

• Walter J.R. Curley, Monarchs in Waiting. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1975. (pp.23-25: "Bulgaria: His Majesty King Simeon II")
• Pashanko Dimitroff, Boris III of Bulgaria 1894-1943. London, 1986. ISBN 0-86332-140-2
• Charles Fenyvesi, Royalty in Exile. London: Robson Books, 1981. (pp. 153-171: "Czar Simeon of the Bulgars") ISBN 0-86051-131-6
• Stephane Groueff Crown of Thorns, Lanham MD. and London, 1987. ISBN 0-8191-5778-3
• Gregory Lauder-Frost, The Betrayal of Bulgaria, Monarchist League Policy Paper, London, 1989.
• Robert K. Massie and Jeffrey Firestone, The Last Courts of Europe. New York: Greenwich House, 1983. ISBN 0-517-414724

Articles

• The Daily Telegraph, Obituary for "HM Queen Ioanna of the Bulgarians", London, 28 February 2000.

See also

• List of monarchs who lost their thrones or abdicated in the 20th century
• House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

External links

• The first website about Simeon II of Bulgaria focuses on his pre-1995 history
• Financial Times July 2001 Biography
• Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's address, 10 February 2005 concerning amending the constitution to bring it in line with EU requirements
• Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's statement, 5 July 2002 concerning Bulgaria's candidacy for NATO membership: "The role of the international community should be gradually transformed from crisis response to integration. Palliative measures intended to mitigate yet another crisis cannot bring stability and prosperity. The best solution is the region's integration into the European and Euroatlantic institutions."