Simeon Borisov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (, ; born 16 June 1937) is a Bulgarian politician who reigned as the last Tsar of the Tsardom of Bulgaria as Simeon II from 1943 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolished by a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

, forcing Simeon into

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

. Following the fall of communism in Bulgaria, Simeon returned to his home country in 1996, and founded the National Movement for Stability and Progress party (also known as the National Movement Simeon II party). After winning the 2001 election as its leader, Simeon proceeded to govern Bulgaria as

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of the Republic of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005.
Simeon was six years old when his father Boris III of Bulgaria died in 1943. Royal power was exercised on his behalf by a regency council led by Simeon's uncle Kiril, Prince of Preslav, General Nikola Mihov and prime minister, Bogdan Filov. Following his premiership from 2001 to 2005, in the next election, as leader of NDSV, Simeon entered a coalition government with the Bulgarian Socialist Party, as his party finished second in the election. In 2009, after NDSV failed to win any seats in the National Assembly, he retired from politics. As of 2025, Simeon is one of only two living men who were heads of state during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, along with the

14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...

, although both held only mostly symbolic roles in their respective governments.

Royal history

BASA-3K-15-302-13-Simeon-The Prince of Turnovo

BASA-3K-15-302-18-Simeon-The Prince of Turnovo

Simeon was born to Boris III of Bulgaria and Giovanna of Italy. Following his birth, Boris III sent an air force officer to the

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan (, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn''; , ''Nəhar hayYardēn''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' (), is a endorheic river in the Levant that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and drains to the Dead ...

to obtain water for Simeon's baptism in the Orthodox faith. He succeeded to the throne on 28 August 1943 upon the death of his father, who had just returned to Bulgaria from a meeting with

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

. Since Simeon was only six years old, his uncle Prince Kiril, Prime Minister Bogdan Filov, and Lt. General Nikola Mihov of the Bulgarian Army were appointed

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

s.Geoffrey Hindley, ''The Royal Families of Europe'', p. 156. London: Lyric Books Ltd., 1979. Under his father, Bulgaria joined the

Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...

but managed to preserve diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. Still, on 5 September 1944 Stalin 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 Kiril and the other regents were deposed by a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the 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, and his sister Maria-Louisa — remained at

Vrana Palace Vrana Palace (; formerly ; ) is a royal palace, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is today the official residence of the former Royal House of Bulgaria, royal family of Bulgaria. While the Royal Palace (Sofia), Royal Palace i ...

, near Sofia, while three new regents were appointed, all Communists ( Todor Pavlov, Venelin Ganev and Tsvetko Boboshevski). On 15 September 1946, a

was held in the presence of the Soviet army. It proposed abolishing the monarchy and declaring a republic. Official figures showed a 95.6% approval for ending 68 years of monarchy. This referendum actually violated the Tarnovo Constitution, which held that any change in the form of the state could only be implemented by a Grand National Assembly convened by the tsar. On 16 September 1946, the royal family was exiled from Bulgaria while given a way to take out large amount of movable property. They first went to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, Egypt, where Simeon's grandfather

Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albani ...

, the former king of Italy, lived in exile. There, in 1951, Simeon studied at Victoria College (along with Crown Prince Leka of Albania). In July 1951, General Francisco Franco's

dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

in Spain granted asylum to the family. He took part in the ship tour organized by King

Paul of Greece Paul (; 14 December 1901 – 6 March 1964) was King of Greece from 1 April 1947 until his death on 6 March 1964. Paul was born in Athens as the third son of Constantine I of Greece, Crown Prince Constantine and Sophia of Prussia, Crown Princess ...

and Queen Frederica in 1954, which became known as the " Cruise of the Kings" and was attended by over 100 royals from all over Europe.

Education and business career

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, Simeon studied at the Lycée Français. On 16 June 1955, upon turning 18, in accordance with the Tarnovo Constitution, Simeon read a proclamation to the Bulgarian people, claiming that he was Tsar of Bulgaria and confirming his will to be Tsar of all Bulgarians and to follow the principles contrary to those of the communist regime then ruling 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 he graduated as a second lieutenant. Once again in Spain (between 1959 and 1962), Simeon studied law and business administration. He then became a businessman. For thirteen years, he was chairman of the Spanish subsidiary of Thomson, a French defense and electronics group. He was also an adviser in the banking, hotel, electronics, and catering sectors.

Marriage and issue

On 21 January 1962, Simeon married Spanish aristocrat, '' Doña'' Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela. The couple had five children – four sons (Kardam, Kiril, Kubrat and Konstantin) and a daughter, Kalina, all of whom subsequently married

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance-speaking ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern nation-state of Spain. Genetically and ethnolinguistically, Spaniards belong to the broader Southern a ...

. All of his sons received names of Bulgarian Tsars, his daughter has a Bulgarian name, although only four of his eleven grandchildren have Bulgarian names (Boris, Sofia, Mirko and Simeon). * Kardam (1962–2015) married Miriam Ungría y López. They had two sons, Boris and Beltran. * Kiril (born 1964) married María del Rosario Nadal y Fuster de Puigdórfila. They have three children:

Mafalda ''Mafalda'' () is an Argentina, Argentine Argentine comics, comic strip written and drawn by cartoonist Quino. The strip features a six-year-old girl named Mafalda, who reflects the Argentine middle class and progressive youth, is concerned abou ...

, Olimpia and Tassilo. * Kubrat (born 1965) married Carla María de la Soledad Royo-Villanova y Urrestarazu. They have three sons: Mirko, Lukás and Tirso. * Konstantin-Assen (born 1967) married María García de la Rasilla y Gortázar. They have twins, Umberto and Sofia. * Kalina (born 1972) married Antonio José "Kitín" Muñoz y Valcárcel. They have a son, Simeon Hassan Muñoz.

Political return

In 1990, just months after the

fall of communism The revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, were a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. Th ...

, Simeon was issued a new Bulgarian passport. In 1996, fifty years after the abolition of the monarchy, Simeon returned to Bulgaria and was met in many places by crowds of approval. He did not, at that point, make any political announcements or moves, as he had already denied in a TV interview (1990) to have any material property claims against Bulgaria. However, these social sentiments gradually disappeared after his premiership, with Simeon making moves to take back large areas or real estate property in Bulgaria that was under the monarchy's governance before 1945. In 2001, Simeon, who had by this time taken the name ''Simeon Borisov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha'', announced he would return to Bulgaria to form a new political party, the

National Movement Simeon II The National Movement for Stability and Progress (, NDSV) is a liberal, populist political party in Bulgaria. It was known as the National Movement Simeon II () until 3 June 2007. The party was created as a personal vehicle of Simeon of Saxe- ...

(later renamed to NMSP), 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.

Prime minister

NMSP 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 was sworn in as

Prime Minister of Bulgaria The Prime Minister of Bulgaria () is the head of government of Bulgaria. They are oftentimes the leader of a political coalition in the Bulgarian parliament, known as the National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unica ...

on 24 July, forming a coalition with the ethnic Turkish-led party, Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). He gave ministerial positions in his government mainly to

technocrats Technocracy is a form of government in which decision-makers appoint knowledge experts in specific domains to provide them with advice and guidance in various areas of their policy-making responsibilities. Technocracy follows largely in the tra ...

and Western-educated economic specialists. During his time in power, he received the Path to Peace Award from the Path to Peace Foundation in 2002. Bulgaria next joined

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

and joined the U.S.-led coalition against Iraq. In the 2005 elections, Simeon's party ranked second and participated in the grand coalition government led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party and including the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. Simeon was given the unofficial ceremonial post of Chairman of the Coalition Council. In the 2009 elections, the party got just 3.01% of the votes and no parliamentary seats. Shortly after, on 6 July, Simeon also resigned as NMSP leader.

Views on restoration of the Bulgarian monarchy

Although not yet formally renouncing his claim to the Bulgarian throne, Simeon and his family take part in long orchestrated media campaigns and moves throughout Bulgarian political space. He used the title "Tsar of the Bulgarians" in his political statements during his exile. Since his return to Bulgaria, however, Simeon has consistently avoided revealing his views on the restoration of the Bulgarian monarchy, notwithstanding the original name of his party. Upon taking office as Prime Minister, Simeon swore to uphold the republican constitution.

Autobiography

Simeon wrote an autobiography in French under the title ''Siméon II de Bulgarie, un destin singulier'' that was released in Bulgaria on 28 October 2014. It was first presented at the headquarters of the UNESCO in Paris on 22 October 2014. BASA-3K-15-302-29-Simeon-The Prince of Turnovo

BASA-3K-15-302-29-Simeon-The Prince of Turnovo

Titles and styles

*16 June 1937 – 28 August 1943: ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of Turnovo *28 August 1943 – 15 September 1946: ''His Majesty'' The Tsar of the Bulgarians *15 September 1946 – present: ''His Majesty'' Tsar Simeon II of the Bulgarians ( title of pretense and by courtesy) *24 July 2001 – 16 August 2005: ''His Excellency'' Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha In a statement published on its website on 1 May 2015, the Bulgarian Patriarchate announced that Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha will be referred to as Tsar of Bulgaria in all public and private services held in the dioceses of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Dynastic honours

* House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Knight and Grand Master of the

Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an award conferred by the Republic of Bulgaria. History It has had three incarnations : * first on 18 May 1909 by the Kingdom of Bulgaria (named Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-apostles), ...

The Grand Master of the Bulgarian Orders
– official website of H.M. Simeon II * House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Grand Master of the Royal Order of Saint Alexander * House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Grand Master of the Royal Order of Bravery * House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Grand Master of the Royal Order of Civil Merit * House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Grand Master of the Royal Order of Military Merit * House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Recipient of the Coming of age Medal of Tsar Simeon II

National state honours

* : Grand Cross of the Order of Stara Planinahttp://www.kingsimeon.bg/en/
page with Simeon's honours
* Bulgarian Ministry of Defence: Collar of the Order of Justice

Foreign state and dynastic honours

* : Grand Cross of the order of the crown * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour ** Orléans-French royal family: Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Saint Lazarus The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, also known as the Leper Brothers of Jerusalem or simply as Lazarists, was a Catholic military order founded by Crusaders during the 1130s at a leper hospital in Jerusalem, Kingdom of Jerusalem, whose car ...

Greek royal family The Greek royal family () was the ruling family of the Kingdom of Greece from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. The Greek royal family is a branch of the Danish royal family, itself a cadet branch of the House of Glücksburg. The famil ...

: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Redeemer *

Italian royal family The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

: Knight of the

Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation () is a Catholic order of chivalry, originating in County of Savoy, Savoy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Italy#The Kingdom of Italy, honours system in the ...

* : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre * : Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

* Two Sicilian royal family: ** Knight of the Royal Order of Saint Januarius ** Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of the Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Order of Saint George * : Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence * : Grand Collar of the Order of Palestine *

Portuguese royal family The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa * Russian imperial family: Knight of the Imperial Order of Saint Andrew * : ** Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III (, originally ; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OC3) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bes ...

** Knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

National awards

* :

Honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

of the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria * : Jubilee badge of honour of the Bulgarian Chitalishte community

Foreign awards

* : Paneuropean Union integration award * :

of the

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...

* : Adoptive Son of Madrid

Arms

Patronages

National patronages

* : Patron of the National day of Bulgaria

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

* Ramon Perez-Maura, El rey possible: Simeon de Bulgaria, Belacqua, Madrid, 2002 () * Simeon II de Bulgarie, Sébastien de Courtois, Un destin singulier, Flammarion, 2014 ()

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. * Charles Fenyvesi, ''Royalty in Exile''. London: Robson Books, 1981. (pp. 153–171: "Czar Simeon of the Bulgars") * Stephane Groueff ''Crown of Thorns'', Lanham MD. and London, 1987. * 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. *

Articles

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

External links

King Simeon II
– Personal website
The first website about Simeon II of Bulgaria
focuses on his pre-1995 history
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's statement, 5 July 2002
concerning Bulgaria's candidacy for

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."
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's address, 10 February 2005
concerning amending the constitution to bring it in line with EU requirements, ''Standart'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Simeon II of Bulgaria 1937 births 20th-century monarchs of Bulgaria

Simeon Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew, Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated in English as Shimon. In Greek, it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Sy ...

Bulgarian people of German descent Bulgarian people of Hungarian descent Bulgarian people of French descent Bulgarian people of Italian descent Leaders ousted by a coup Living people Child monarchs from Europe Eastern Orthodox monarchs Politicians from Sofia Exiled royalty Child pretenders Prime ministers of Bulgaria Monarchs deposed as children Victoria College, Alexandria alumni Valley Forge Military Academy and College alumni World War II political leaders Grand Master of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria) Recipients of the Order of Bravery Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II Grand Cordons of the Order of Independence (Jordan) Recipients of Supreme Order of the Renaissance (Jordan) Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Bailiffs Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Recipients of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910) Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa Nobility from Sofia Pretenders to the Bulgarian throne