Prince of Tarnovo () is the title held by the firstborn son of the

Bulgarian monarch The monarchs of Bulgaria ruled Bulgaria during the medieval First Bulgarian Empire, First ( 681–1018) and Second Bulgarian Empire, Second (1185–1422) Bulgarian empires, as well as during the modern Principality of Bulgaria, Principality (1879 ...

and is exclusive to the

heir to the throne An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

. Tarnovo (Veliko Tarnovo) served as the old Bulgarian capital and was the strongest Bulgarian fortification during the Middle Ages, specifically between the 12th and 14th centuries. It was the most important political, economic, cultural and religious centre of the empire. In the 14th century, as the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

weakened, Tarnovo proclaimed itself the

Third Rome The continuation, succession, and revival of the Roman Empire is a running theme of the history of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. It reflects the lasting memories of power, prestige, and unity associated with the Roman Empire. Several pol ...

based on its pre-eminent cultural influence in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

and the Slavic Orthodox world. In 1393, after a vigorous resistance during a 3-month siege, Turnovo fell to the invading

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, leading to the destruction of the entire Bulgarian Tsardom. The Bulgarian tsar

Ivan Shishman Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria () ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Tarnovo from 1371 to 3 June 1395. The authority of Ivan Shishman was limited to the central parts of the Bulgarian Empire. In the wake of the death of Ivan Alexander of Bulgari ...

moved his residence to the castle of Nikopol but retained the title Prince of Tarnovo (Lord of Tarnovo, , ''Gospodin Tarnovski''). In 1593, a Bulgarian noble and a descendant of the medieval Shishman dynasty, Theodore Ballina of Nikopol, assumed the title 'Prince of Tarnovo' while leading the

First Tarnovo Uprising The First Tarnovo uprising () was a Bulgarian uprising against Ottoman rule based in the former Bulgarian capital, Tarnovo, that broke out in 1598 and was severely crushed by the Ottoman authorities. The uprising was organized by religious le ...

against the Ottoman Empire. In 1686,

Rostislav Stratimirovic Rostislav Stratimirovic (; ; 1683–88) was a Bulgarian rebel leader who led the Second Tarnovo Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1686. He claimed the title Prince of Tarnovo, as a claimed descendant of the medieval Bulgarian ruler Ivan ...

, another descendant and the leader of the

Second Tarnovo Uprising The Second Tarnovo uprising (, ''Vtoro tarnovsko vastanie''), according to a unique Russian source published in 1847, is thought to be a Bulgarian uprising against Ottoman rule based in the former Bulgarian capital, Tarnovo, that broke out in ...

, also took the title. During the Third Tarnovo Uprising in 1835, Velcho Atanasov assumed the title. After he abdicated from the Bulgarian throne, Prince Alexander Battenberg claimed the title Prince of Tarnovo and used it until his death. In 1894, Boris, the first son of

Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Ferdinand I (Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria; 26 February 1861 – 10 September 1948) was Prince of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1908 and Tsar of Bulgaria from 1908 until his abdication in 1918. Under his rule, Bulgaria entered the First Worl ...

, was given the old title 'Prince of Tarnovo' as the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

and the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

. The royal family continued to use this title after the abolition of the monarchy in 1946. The wife of a Prince of Tarnovo is titled Princess of Tarnovo (, ''Knyagina Tarnovska''). As of 2015, the current Prince of Tarnovo is Prince Boris, the son of Prince Kardam.

List

People who have held the title Prince of Tarnovo:

Held in pretense

Since the monarchy's abolition, these are the people who have held the title Prince of Tarnovo in pretense:

References

{{reflist Monarchs of the Bulgars Turnovo Heirs to the throne