Bulgaria hasn't had a monarchy since 1946 when it was abolished following a referendum. The monarchy itself had ceased functioning since a coup d'état in 1944, which saw the Soviet-backed Fatherland Front come to power.
The end of the monarchy in Bulgaria was bloody, with Prince Kiril, a son of former King Ferdinand I, executed alongside leading Bulgarian politicians of the time.
The Bulgarian monarchy dates back to 680, but it was abolished twice beforehand, once following the invasion of the Byzantines and the second time following the invasion of the Ottomans. The most recent branch of the family was the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, which has its own links to the Belgian and British royal families.
This branch ruled the eastern European nation between 1861 and 1946, producing three monarchs: Tsar Ferdinand, Tsar Boris and Tsar Simeon.
While they don't rule Bulgaria anymore, the House still exists, so meet its members below…
Family tree
Tsar Simeon
Born on 16 June 1937, Simeon was the final Tsar of Bulgaria ruling for just three years between 1943 and 1946. Simeon's rise to the throne was unexpected, with the royal becoming the monarch at the age of six after his father, Tsar Boris, fell ill and died at the age of 49.
Due to his young age, his uncle, Prince Kiril, prime minister Bogdan Filov and General Nikola Mihov were appointed as regents, leading a Regency Council for the young King. All three were executed following a Soviet-backed coup d'état.
On 15 September 1946, the new Communist government called a referendum on the abolishment of the royal family, which was approved by 96% of voters. Despite the referendum actually violating the Bulgarian constitution, the results were accepted and have been implemented ever since.
Following the results of the referendum, the Bulgarian royal family were exiled. The royals initially took up residence in Egypt, before being granted asylum by the military dictatorship of Spain.
Simeon pursued a business career as he grew older, becoming a chairman of the Spanish subsidiary of Thomson. At the age of 18, due to the Bulgarian constitution, he took an oath of servitude to the Bulgarian people.
When Communism fell, Simeon was granted a Bulgarian passport and he returned to the country in 1996, although he remained coy about whether he had any plans to restore the monarchy. On 6 April 2001, he founded a political party, named the National Movement Simeon II, which swept to power in elections held later that year.
Simeon served as prime minister of Bulgaria until 2005, when his party finished second in the election. The party became part of a ruling coalition, with Simeon holding the title of Chairman of the Coalition Council. In the 2009 elections, the party was wiped out and Simeon stood down as its leader.
On 21 January 1962, Simeon walked down the aisle with Spanish aristocrat Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela. The couple have welcomed five children: Kardam, Kyril, Kubrat, Konstantin-Assen and Kalina.
Margarita Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Born on 6 January 1935 as Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela, she is the wife of Tsar Simeon, although she never became the Queen of Bulgaria due to the abolition of the monarchy before her marriage to Simeon.
Despite this, Margarita is still sometimes referred to as Tsaritsa Margarita, which would have been her official title.
Margarita was born into an aristocratic Spanish family, with her father being the 4th Marquess of Cortina. However, during the 1936 Spanish civil-war, her parents and maternal grandmother were arrested and executed by Communists.
The Tsaritsa moved around a lot during her early life, including a spell with a family member in France, before moving in with her aunt and uncle and cousins, who included Luis Gómez-Acebo, who later married Spanish royal Infanta Pilar.
On 21 January 1962, she married Tsar Simeon, and the pair now live in his former home, the Vrana Palace. The couple have welcomed five children: Kardam, Kyril, Kubrat, Konstantin-Assen and Kalina.
Princess Marie Louise
Born on 13 January 1933, Marie Louise is the older sister of Tsar Simeon and the current head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry. The change came after Simeon changed the primogeniture rules from agnatic to absolute, allowing his older sister to take the reins.
Like her younger brother, Marie Louise was exiled from Bulgaria following the referendum which abolished the monarchy, and she partially grew up in Egypt and Spain.
On 14 February 1957, Marie Louise walked down the aisle with Prince Karl of Leiningen, a member of the deposed Russian royal family and a great-great grandson of Britain's Queen Victoria. The couple welcomed sons Prince Boris (b. 1960) and Prince Hermann (b. 1963), the latter of whom is 173rd in line to the British throne due to his familial links. However, Marie and Karl did not find love and divorced on 4 December 1968 – Karl died on 28 September 1990.
A year after her divorce, Marie Louise found love with Polish citizen Bronisław Chrobok. The couple currently live in New Jersey and are parents to Princess Alexandra (b. 1970) and Prince Pawel (b. 1972)
Alongside her children, Marie Louise is also a grandmother to seven grandchildren.
Prince Kardam
Born on 2 December 1962, Kardam, Prince of Tarnovo was the eldest son of Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita. Due to his being born after the abolition of the Bulgarian monarchy, the title Crown Prince was only ever used as a courtesy title.
Kardam was born in Madrid following his father's exile from Bulgaria and he studied for an agricultural economics degree at Penn State University, in the United States.
On 11 July 1996, Kardam married gemmologist and jewellery designer Miriam Ungría y López. The pair welcomed two sons, Prince Boris and Prince Beltrán.
On 15 August 2008, Kardam was involved in a serious car accident with his wife, with the pair's car colliding with a tree and overturning. Miriam suffered a collapsed lung and fractures in her elbow and ribs, while Kardam sustained more serious injuries and was placed into an induced coma.
Although the royal was released from hospital in 2009, he suffered a major health setback in 2010 where he was hospitalised again and placed back into an induced coma. He would remain in a coma until he died from a lung infection on 7 April 2015. He was 52 at the time of his death.
Princess Miriam
Born as Míriam Ungría López on 2 September 1963, Miriam was the wife of Prince Kardam from 1996 until his death in 2015. During their marriage, they welcomed sons Prince Boris and Prince Beltrán.
Miriam is a talented gemmologist and jewellery designer and launched her own collection in 1991. In 2014, she launched her own brand, MdeU. Pieces from her brand can also be found in the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Art.
Miriam has remarried since Kardam's death, marrying Prince Ghazi bin Muhammed, the cousin of Jordan's King Abdullah; Ghazi is 16th in line to the Jordanian throne. As a result of the union, Miriam is now known as Princess Miriam Ghazi of Jordan.
Prince Kyril
Born on 11 July 1964, Kyril is the second son of Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita. Although Kyril studied physics at Princeton University, the royal ended up working for GLG Partners, a branch of Lehman Brothers.
On 15 September 1989, Kyril married Spanish art director and model Rosario Nadal. The wedding was covered by HELLO!'s sister publication, Hola, and according to reports, members of the Spanish royal family were in attendance for the nuptials.
The pair welcomed three children: Princess Mafalda-Cecilia (b. 1994), Princess Olimpia (b. 1995) and Prince Tassilo (b. 2002). In 2009, Kyril and Rosario separated, and although the pair are still legally married, Kyril has been in a relationship with businesswoman Katharine Butler since 2017.
Kyril's eldest daughter has become a celebrity in her own right as a successful musician, releasing her debut album, Ona, in 2023. She has performed at Primavera Sound and Eurosonic Noorderslag and been an opening act for Coldplay.
Prince Kubrat
Born on 5 November 1965, Kubrat is the third son of Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita. Without the constraints of royal life, Kubrat has been able to follow a career in medicine, where he has worked as a surgeon since 1990.
On 2 July 1993, Kubrat married Carla Maria de la Soledad Royo-Villanova Urrestarazu. The couple have welcomed three sons: Prince Mirko (b. 1995), Prince Lukas (b. 1997) and Prince Tirso (b. 2002).
Prince Konstantin-Assen
Born on 5 December 1967, Konstantin-Assen is the fourth son of Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita. Konstantin-Assen has followed in his father's footsteps by pursuing a business career and works as Barclay's country manager in Spain.
On 7 July 1994, he married Maria Garcia de la Rasilla Gortazar and in 1999 the couple welcomed twins Prince Umberto and Princess Sofia. The duo are close with the Spanish royal family, with King Felipe being a godfather of Sofia, while Konstantin-Assen is the godfather to Felipe's daughter, Infanta Sofia.
Princess Kalina
Born on 19 January 1972, Princess Kalina is the youngest child and only daughter of Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita. Kalina has always loved art and obtained a degree in History of Art.
Kalina reportedly suffered an accident at the age of eight which resulted in the loss of her two front teeth. In 1999, she aimed to replace the teeth with crowns, but complications led to an infection spreading to her nasal cavity. During a sea trip, the infection worsened resulting the royal needing to undergo facial surgery.
Kalina has proven to be a controversial member of the family with her risqué fashion sense and in 2023 was subjected to an 8-month driving ban after she crashed into another vehicle after consuming alcohol.
The royal also hit headlines due to an incredible jaw-dropping transformation that has seen her become fairly muscular. Giving a fitness tip, she shared: "A bad lifestyle, drinking alcohol, smoking, overeating, and sleeping little, leads to a day with less energy and to poor or premature ageing. Good nutrition, eight hours of sleep, and good training are the keys to a healthy lifestyle and being in shape."
On 26 October 2002, Kalina married Spanish adventurer and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Kitín Muñoz. The pair welcomed son Simeon, named after his grandfather, in 2007.
Prince Boris
Born on 12 October 1997, Prince Boris is the oldest son of Prince Kardam and Princess Miriam. Following his father's death, and despite his great-aunt being the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, Boris is seen as the heir apparent to the defunct Bulgarian throne.
Boris has pursued a life in the arts sector and is a talented sculptor and guitar player. It's unclear whether Boris is dating, but the Bulgarian royal has been linked to Princess Catharina-Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne. The pair were seen attending a wedding together, and it's believed they've been friends for years, with their families having been close.
Prince Beltrán
Born on 23 March 1999, Prince Beltrán is the youngest son of Prince Kardam and Princess Miriam and is considered to be second in line to the defunct Bulgarian throne.