Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Infobox Prime Minister
country = the Republic of Bulgaria
nationality = Bulgarian
order = 47th Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
term_start = 24 July 2001
term_end = 17 August 2005
predecessor =Ivan Kostov
successor = Sergey Stanishev
party = NDSV

Simeon of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Bulgarian: Симеон Сакскобургготски; German: Simeon von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha) or Simeon II of Bulgaria (born June 16, 1937) was head of state as the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, "Tsar Simeon II", from 1943 to 1946. He served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria from 2001 until August 2005. He is known in the English speaking world as Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which is the name of his family's ancestral homeland without the preceding "von" ("of").

Simeon is one of the last living heads of state from the World War II-era and he is also the only monarch in history who also became head of government of his country through a land-slide victory in democratic nation-wide elections, after 55 years of exile imposed on his family by the communist republic established in 1946. Simeon is a relative of the British Queen Elizabeth II and Belgian King Albert II. They belong to the House of Wettin. The Bulgarian Royal House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is also a link between them. Simeon is a Knight of the Golden Fleece.

Simeon is the only living person who still bears the Slavonic title "Tsar". He never signed any abdication papers although he was deposed by the communists in 1946 and the monarchy was abolished through a plebiscite held in the presence of the Soviet army.

Royal history

Simeon is the son of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna di Savoia. Following his birth, King Boris III sent an air force officer go to the River Jordan to obtain water for Simeon's baptism in the Orthodox faith. [Kate Connolly, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/jun/20/worlddispatch.kateconnolly "Once upon a time in Bulgaria"] , "The Guardian", June 20, 2001.] He became Tsar on August 28 1943 upon the death of his father, shortly after his return to Bulgaria from a meeting with Adolf Hitler. ["Bulgarian Rule Goes to Son, 6. Reports on 5-Day Illness Conflict", United Press dispatch of August 28, 1943, in a cutting from an unknown newspaper in the collection of historian James L. Cabot, Ludington, Michigan] [Theo Aronson, "Crowns in Conflict", p.202. London: John Murray (Publishers) Ltd., 1986. ISBN 0-7195-4279-0] 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. [Geoffrey Hindley, "The Royal Families of Europe", p.156. London: Lyric Books Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-093530-0 ]

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. [Ibid.]

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", [Ibid.] 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.Fact|date=June 2007

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. [Ibid.] 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!" [ [http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/infoBios/setimes/resource_centre/bio-archive/saxe-coburg-gotha_simeon Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Prime Minister of Bulgaria ] ] 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 the Bulgarian royal family. In 2001 Simeon proclaimed his will to return to Bulgaria for the common good and announced the formation of 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 the positive effects of his government and would enjoy significantly higher standards of living.

NMSII won a large victory in the parliamentary elections held on June 17, 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 July 24, 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. [ [http://www.thepathtopeacefoundation.org/ Path to Peace Foundation website] ] 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 mass poverty, official corruption, and organized crime which had been practically endemic since it won self-rule from Turkey in 1878.

In 2005 elections, Simeon remained second political power and formed a new coalition government with the Bulgarian Socialist Party and 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 royal 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.

Ancestors

ahnentafel top|Ancestors of Simeon II of Bulgaria|width=100%ahnentafel-compact5
style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%;
border=1
boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
1= 1. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
2= 2. Boris III of Bulgaria
3= 3. Giovanna of Savoy
4= 4. Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
5= 5. Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma
6= 6. Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
7= 7. Elena of Montenegro
8= 8. August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 5th Prince of Kohary
9= 9. Princess Clémentine of Orléans
10= 10. Robert I, Duke of Parma
11= 11. Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
12= 12. Umberto I of Italy
13= 13. Margherita of Savoy
14= 14. Nicholas I of Montenegro
15= 15. Milena Vukotić
16= 16. Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 4th Prince of Kohary
17= 17. Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág
18= 18. Louis-Philippe of France
19= 19. Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies
20= 20. Charles III, Duke of Parma
21= 21. Louise Marie Thérèse of France
22= 22. Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
23= 23. Maria Theresa of Austria
24= 24. Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
25= 25. Maria Adelaide of Austria
26= 26. Ferdinand, 1st Duke of Genoa
27= 27. Princess Elizabeth of Saxony
28= 28. Mirko Petrović Njegoš
29= 29. Anastasija Martinović
30= 30. Petar Vukotić
31= 31. Jelena Voivodićahnentafel bottom

References

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.

ee also

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

External links

* [http://www.b-info.com/places/Bulgaria/Royal/Simeon/ The first website about Simeon II of Bulgaria] focuses on his pre-1995 history
* [http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/infoBios/setimes/resource_centre/bios/saxe-coburg-gotha_simeon "Financial Times" July 2001] Biography
* [http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2005/02/10/english/opinion/ Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's address, February 10 2005] concerning amending the constitution to bring it in line with EU requirements
* [http://www.rigasummit.lv/en/?id=127 Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's statement, July 5 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."

-
-
-
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###