Simeon
Borisov of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Tsar Simeon II (Bulgarian: Симеон Борисов
Сакскобургготски, transl. Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski; Цар Симеон II;
German: Simeon von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha or Simeon von Wettin) or Simeon II of
Bulgaria (born 16 June 1937) is an important political and royal figure in
Bulgaria. During his reign as the Tsar of Bulgaria from 1943 to 1946 he was a
minor, the monarchical authority being exercised over the kingdom on his behalf
by a regency. The regents were Simeon's uncle Prince Kiril of Bulgaria, General
Nikola Mihov and the prime minister, Bogdan Filov. In 1946 the monarchy was
overthrown as a consequence of a greatly manipulated referendum won by the
communist republicans. Simeon went into exile. Fifty-five years later, on 6
April 2001, Simeon resumed the role of leader of the nation upon taking office
as Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria from July 2001 until August 2005.
As
of 2012, Simeon is one of the last living heads of state from the World War
II-era, the only living person who has borne the Bulgarian title
"Tsar", and one of the few monarchs in history to have become the
head of government through democratic elections.
Royal History
Simeon
was born the son of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna di Savoia and is
related to various European royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II, King Albert
II of the Belgians and the Kings Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Umberto II of
Italy. Following his birth, Boris III sent an air force officer to the River
Jordan to obtain water for Simeon's baptism in the Orthodox faith. He became
Tsar on 28 August 1943 on the death of his father, who had just returned to
Bulgaria from a meeting with Adolf Hitler. Since Tsar Simeon was only six years
old when he ascended 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 three days later
the Red Army entered the country without encountering resistance. On the next
day, 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 entertained
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 allegedly resulted in over 97% approval for the Soviet
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
only 9 years old). 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.[citation needed]
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.
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, 50 years after the abolition of the monarchy, Simeon returned to
Bulgaria and was met in many places by 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 of the 240 seats in Parliament and defeating the two main
pre-existing political parties. 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 moved
forward, with the first Eurolev issue in 2004. During his time in power,
Bulgaria joined NATO and EC.
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.
The
party got just 3.01% of votes and no seats at the parliamentary elections of
2009. Shortly after, on 6 July, Simeon also resigned as NMSII leader .
Views on restoration of the
Bulgarian Monarchy
Simeon
II has never renounced his royal claim to the Bulgarian throne. He 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.
Heir to the House of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry
After
the death of his distant cousin Prince John Henry of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in
April 2010 and due to the exclusion of the late prince's uncle Philipp Josias
Maria Joseph Ignatius Michael Gabriel Raphael Gonzaga (Walterskirchen, 18
August 1901 –) children and descendants from his morganatic marriage with Sarah
Aurelia Halasz, Simeon became the Head of the House of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, former Magnates of Hungary, and a claimant to the
holding of the castles of Čabraď and Sv. Anton, both in modern day Slovakia,
lost to Czechoslovakia in 1921. In early 2012 he ceded his rights to the
headship of the princely house of Koháry to his sister Princess Marie Louise of
Bulgaria.
From : www.wikipedia.org
