1. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was six years old when his father Boris III of Bulgaria died in 1943.
17 Facts About Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
1. 2.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born to Boris III of Bulgaria and Giovanna of Italy.
3.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 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.
4.
Since Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was only six years old, his uncle Prince Kiril, Prime Minister Bogdan Filov, and Lt.
5.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took part in the ship tour organized by King Paul of Greece 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.
6.
On 16 June 1955, upon turning 18, in accordance with the Tarnovo Constitution, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 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.
7.
Once again in Spain, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha studied law and business administration.
8.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was an adviser in the banking, hotel, electronics, and catering sectors.
9.
On 21 January 1962, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha married Spanish aristocrat, Dona Margarita Gomez-Acebo y Cejuela.
10.
In 1990, just months after the fall of communism, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was issued a new Bulgarian passport.
11.
In 1996, fifty years after the abolition of the monarchy, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha returned to Bulgaria and was met in many places by crowds of approval.
12.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha did not, at that point, make any political announcements or moves, as he had already denied in a TV interview to have any material property claims against Bulgaria.
13.
However, these social sentiments gradually disappeared after his premiership, with Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha making moves to take back large areas or real estate property in Bulgaria that was under the monarchy's governance before 1945.
14.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha gave ministerial positions in his government mainly to technocrats and Western-educated economic specialists.
15.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was given the unofficial ceremonial post of Chairman of the Coalition Council.
16.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha used the title "Tsar of the Bulgarians" in his political statements during his exile.
17.
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha wrote an autobiography in French under the title Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha II de Bulgarie, un destin singulier that was released in Bulgaria on 28 October 2014.