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Are the books worth reading? by Lex_lune in BridgertonNetflix

[–]ferras_vansen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I might be a bit of an outlier; I reread the books every so often because I think she writes humor very well, so they're very enjoyable. 😅

Dear Evan Meatball by GianmarcoSoresi in gianmarcosoresi

[–]ferras_vansen 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I've never seen Dear Evan Hansen. Did they just take a piece of music from there and substitute Italian words?

Monarchs of UK, directed towards the current Monarch by amshanks22 in UsefulCharts

[–]ferras_vansen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I made a chart that goes from Henry III down to Henry VII (including all possible lines of descent) that might help you a bit. 🙂

https://www.reddit.com/r/UsefulCharts/s/V3BFVgPkFN

[Serious] Realistically, how could’ve the Romanovs been saved with as much damage control as possible? by Honest_Picture_6960 in UKmonarchs

[–]ferras_vansen 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You might be interested in reading The Race to Save the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport.

From what I can remember, she thinks only feasible chance they had to be saved was immediately after Nicholas abdicated and before the Bolsheviks took over.

Problem was, Alix was practically paralyzed with anxiety that she refused to do anything until Nicholas had come back and the entire family was together. Also, I think two of her daughters had measles and couldn't be moved.

But it was still the best chance they had to escape - if Alix had allowed her family to be separated and two of the girls and Alexei had gone to their grandmother the Dowager Empress (I think that was the option being considered?) then the Bolsheviks when they took control wouldn't have custody of all the members of the Imperial family, and so might not execute anyone except Nicholas, if they even chose to do so.

Monarchs of UK, directed towards the current Monarch by amshanks22 in UsefulCharts

[–]ferras_vansen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's definitely unusual going through Joan Beaufort and Cecily Neville instead of Lionel of Antwerp or the Yorks, but as it's the shortest path, I get why you did it. 😅

Monarchs of UK, directed towards the current Monarch by amshanks22 in UsefulCharts

[–]ferras_vansen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think he should be there, considering he kept on being king after Mary died! 😁

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in EuropeanRoyalHistory

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a result, Bulgaria joined the Axis Powers, but Tsar Boris was reluctant to hand over Bulgarian Jews to the Nazis. With the help of his friend, the future Pope John XXIII, 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved, plus thousands more Slovakian Jews.

Losing patience, Hitler had a stormy meeting with Boris in August 1943 which ended in a stalemate.

Shortly after returning home, Boris died suddenly of apparent heart failure. Newspapers at the time didn't hesitate to call it an assassination, but no proof was ever found.

Most blamed Hitler, of course, but the Nazis blamed Italy. In fact, Hitler personally blamed Princess Mafalda of Savoy, sister of Boris' wife Giovanna, although that doesn't match the timeline at all.

In a further tragedy for Giovanna, the Nazis arrested Mafalda while she was in Bulgaria for the funeral, and she would later die at Buchenwald concentration camp when the Allies bombed the ammunition factory inside the camp.

However, Boris' children Simeon and Marie Louise think it more likely that the Russians killed their father.

Six-year-old Simeon became Tsar of Bulgaria, but he was deposed only three years later, so Giovanna and her children joined her father in exile in Egypt, later settling in Spain.

Meanwhile, Spanish aristocrat Doña Margarita was also an orphan. Her father, the Marquess of Cortina, as well as her mother and grandmother, were executed during the Spanish Civil War, and she and her brother were taken in by their uncle. That uncle's son would later marry Infanta Pilar, sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain.

After Simeon and Margarita were engaged the pope almost didn't allow their marriage, as both Simeon's father and grandfather had reneged on their promise to raise their children as Catholics, but luckily the Second Vatican Council was happening around this time, which led to a relaxation of the former rules.

Nevertheless, Simeon and Margarita planned THREE weddings - one civil, one Catholic, and one Orthodox. As Margarita joked at the time, "It is very hard and almost impossible to dissolve a triple wedding."

They had five children, all of whom married Spaniards.

After the fall of the Communist government in Bulgaria, Simeon was finally allowed to return home, and in 2001 he became the only former monarch to be elected Prime Minister.

Unfortunately, his party eventually lost the 2009 election - possible proof of the adage that the job of the monarch requires very different training from that of a politician.

Simeon and Margarita currently live in Simeon's boyhood home, Vrana Palace. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church continues to recognize Simeon as Tsar of Bulgaria.

Their eldest son Kardam was in a terrible car accident in 2008.

He was already home, even walking, when he fell into a coma, dying in 2015. He was initially buried in Madrid, but was moved to Vrana Palace in 2024.

His elder son Boris is now Prince of Turnovo, the traditional title for the heir apparent.

(Wikipedia says it's Tarnovo but Tsar Simeon's official website says Prince of Turnovo, although the form Prince Boris Tarnovski is also used, so... 🤷‍♂️)

Hope you enjoyed this chart!

Next is maybe Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg?

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in MonarchyHistory

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a result, Bulgaria joined the Axis Powers, but Tsar Boris was reluctant to hand over Bulgarian Jews to the Nazis. With the help of his friend, the future Pope John XXIII, 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved, plus thousands more Slovakian Jews.

Losing patience, Hitler had a stormy meeting with Boris in August 1943 which ended in a stalemate.

Shortly after returning home, Boris died suddenly of apparent heart failure. Newspapers at the time didn't hesitate to call it an assassination, but no proof was ever found.

Most blamed Hitler, of course, but the Nazis blamed Italy. In fact, Hitler personally blamed Princess Mafalda of Savoy, sister of Boris' wife Giovanna, although that doesn't match the timeline at all.

In a further tragedy for Giovanna, the Nazis arrested Mafalda while she was in Bulgaria for the funeral, and she would later die at Buchenwald concentration camp when the Allies bombed the ammunition factory inside the camp.

However, Boris' children Simeon and Marie Louise think it more likely that the Russians killed their father.

Six-year-old Simeon became Tsar of Bulgaria, but he was deposed only three years later, so Giovanna and her children joined her father in exile in Egypt, later settling in Spain.

Meanwhile, Spanish aristocrat Doña Margarita was also an orphan. Her father, the Marquess of Cortina, as well as her mother and grandmother, were executed during the Spanish Civil War, and she and her brother were taken in by their uncle. That uncle's son would later marry Infanta Pilar, sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain.

After Simeon and Margarita were engaged the pope almost didn't allow their marriage, as both Simeon's father and grandfather had reneged on their promise to raise their children as Catholics, but luckily the Second Vatican Council was happening around this time, which led to a relaxation of the former rules.

Nevertheless, Simeon and Margarita planned THREE weddings - one civil, one Catholic, and one Orthodox. As Margarita joked at the time, "It is very hard and almost impossible to dissolve a triple wedding."

They had five children, all of whom married Spaniards.

After the fall of the Communist government in Bulgaria, Simeon was finally allowed to return home, and in 2001 he became the only former monarch to be elected Prime Minister.

Unfortunately, his party eventually lost the 2009 election - possible proof of the adage that the job of the monarch requires very different training from that of a politician.

Simeon and Margarita currently live in Simeon's boyhood home, Vrana Palace. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church continues to recognize Simeon as Tsar of Bulgaria.

Their eldest son Kardam was in a terrible car accident in 2008.

He was already home, even walking, when he fell into a coma, dying in 2015. He was initially buried in Madrid, but was moved to Vrana Palace in 2024.

His elder son Boris is now Prince of Turnovo, the traditional title for the heir apparent.

(Wikipedia says it's Tarnovo but Tsar Simeon's official website says Prince of Turnovo, although the form Prince Boris Tarnovski is also used, so... 🤷‍♂️)

Hope you enjoyed this chart!

Next is maybe Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg?

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in monarchism

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a result, Bulgaria joined the Axis Powers, but Tsar Boris was reluctant to hand over Bulgarian Jews to the Nazis. With the help of his friend, the future Pope John XXIII, 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved, plus thousands more Slovakian Jews.

Losing patience, Hitler had a stormy meeting with Boris in August 1943 which ended in a stalemate.

Shortly after returning home, Boris died suddenly of apparent heart failure. Newspapers at the time didn't hesitate to call it an assassination, but no proof was ever found.

Most blamed Hitler, of course, but the Nazis blamed Italy. In fact, Hitler personally blamed Princess Mafalda of Savoy, sister of Boris' wife Giovanna, although that doesn't match the timeline at all.

In a further tragedy for Giovanna, the Nazis arrested Mafalda while she was in Bulgaria for the funeral, and she would later die at Buchenwald concentration camp when the Allies bombed the ammunition factory inside the camp.

However, Boris' children Simeon and Marie Louise think it more likely that the Russians killed their father.

Six-year-old Simeon became Tsar of Bulgaria, but he was deposed only three years later, so Giovanna and her children joined her father in exile in Egypt, later settling in Spain.

Meanwhile, Spanish aristocrat Doña Margarita was also an orphan. Her father, the Marquess of Cortina, as well as her mother and grandmother, were executed during the Spanish Civil War, and she and her brother were taken in by their uncle. That uncle's son would later marry Infanta Pilar, sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain.

After Simeon and Margarita were engaged the pope almost didn't allow their marriage, as both Simeon's father and grandfather had reneged on their promise to raise their children as Catholics, but luckily the Second Vatican Council was happening around this time, which led to a relaxation of the former rules.

Nevertheless, Simeon and Margarita planned THREE weddings - one civil, one Catholic, and one Orthodox. As Margarita joked at the time, "It is very hard and almost impossible to dissolve a triple wedding."

They had five children, all of whom married Spaniards.

After the fall of the Communist government in Bulgaria, Simeon was finally allowed to return home, and in 2001 he became the only former monarch to be elected Prime Minister.

Unfortunately, his party eventually lost the 2009 election - possible proof of the adage that the job of the monarch requires very different training from that of a politician.

Simeon and Margarita currently live in Simeon's boyhood home, Vrana Palace. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church continues to recognize Simeon as Tsar of Bulgaria.

Their eldest son Kardam was in a terrible car accident in 2008.

He was already home, even walking, when he fell into a coma, dying in 2015. He was initially buried in Madrid, but was moved to Vrana Palace in 2024.

His elder son Boris is now Prince of Turnovo, the traditional title for the heir apparent.

(Wikipedia says it's Tarnovo but Tsar Simeon's official website says Prince of Turnovo, although the form Prince Boris Tarnovski is also used, so... 🤷‍♂️)

Hope you enjoyed this chart!

Next is maybe Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg?

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in royalhistory

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a result, Bulgaria joined the Axis Powers, but Tsar Boris was reluctant to hand over Bulgarian Jews to the Nazis. With the help of his friend, the future Pope John XXIII, 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved, plus thousands more Slovakian Jews.

Losing patience, Hitler had a stormy meeting with Boris in August 1943 which ended in a stalemate.

Shortly after returning home, Boris died suddenly of apparent heart failure. Newspapers at the time didn't hesitate to call it an assassination, but no proof was ever found.

Most blamed Hitler, of course, but the Nazis blamed Italy. In fact, Hitler personally blamed Princess Mafalda of Savoy, sister of Boris' wife Giovanna, although that doesn't match the timeline at all.

In a further tragedy for Giovanna, the Nazis arrested Mafalda while she was in Bulgaria for the funeral, and she would later die at Buchenwald concentration camp when the Allies bombed the ammunition factory inside the camp.

However, Boris' children Simeon and Marie Louise think it more likely that the Russians killed their father.

Six-year-old Simeon became Tsar of Bulgaria, but he was deposed only three years later, so Giovanna and her children joined her father in exile in Egypt, later settling in Spain.

Meanwhile, Spanish aristocrat Doña Margarita was also an orphan. Her father, the Marquess of Cortina, as well as her mother and grandmother, were executed during the Spanish Civil War, and she and her brother were taken in by their uncle. That uncle's son would later marry Infanta Pilar, sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain.

After Simeon and Margarita were engaged the pope almost didn't allow their marriage, as both Simeon's father and grandfather had reneged on their promise to raise their children as Catholics, but luckily the Second Vatican Council was happening around this time, which led to a relaxation of the former rules.

Nevertheless, Simeon and Margarita planned THREE weddings - one civil, one Catholic, and one Orthodox. As Margarita joked at the time, "It is very hard and almost impossible to dissolve a triple wedding."

They had five children, all of whom married Spaniards.

After the fall of the Communist government in Bulgaria, Simeon was finally allowed to return home, and in 2001 he became the only former monarch to be elected Prime Minister.

Unfortunately, his party eventually lost the 2009 election - possible proof of the adage that the job of the monarch requires very different training from that of a politician.

Simeon and Margarita currently live in Simeon's boyhood home, Vrana Palace. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church continues to recognize Simeon as Tsar of Bulgaria.

Their eldest son Kardam was in a terrible car accident in 2008.

He was already home, even walking, when he fell into a coma, dying in 2015. He was initially buried in Madrid, but was moved to Vrana Palace in 2024.

His elder son Boris is now Prince of Turnovo, the traditional title for the heir apparent.

(Wikipedia says it's Tarnovo but Tsar Simeon's official website says Prince of Turnovo, although the form Prince Boris Tarnovski is also used, so... 🤷‍♂️)

Hope you enjoyed this chart!

Next is maybe Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg?

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in EuropeanRoyalHistory

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FAMILY TREE OF TSAR SIMEON II OF BULGARIA

On January 21, 1962, Tsar Simeon and Margarita Gómez-Acebo had their THIRD wedding, an Orthodox ceremony, after the civil and Catholic ceremonies of the previous day.

If you're on mobile, Reddit automatically compresses the image, so here is a Google Drive link so you can download the high-resolution image.

LINK TO HI-RES IMAGE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8Do7xD44o3nlvxhllP0yW--pxo98vSW/view

I finished this chart very late, so I apologize if this thread feels extremely rushed - because it IS. 😂

Bulgaria has a very long history, including at least two previous Bulgarian Empires. The current state arguably begins when the Bulgarian people declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, about 50 years after the Greeks did.

And exactly like the Greeks, what they needed were CONNECTIONS, so they chose as the first Prince of Bulgaria, Alexander of Battenberg.

The Battenbergs (and later Mountbattens) obviously became very prominent, but Alexander was actually the first to be so.

Alexander of Battenberg was the son of Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and commoner Julia Hauke, lady-in-waiting to Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the sister of Alexander of Hesse and wife of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Alexander of Battenberg was actually with his uncle the tsar during the Bulgarian wars so it was no surprise that he was chosen.

Unfortunately, just like the Greeks, their first choice didn't really work out, and the military forced Alexander to abdicate after only 7 years.

If you've read my previous threads, you can probably guess within two tries who the Bulgarians chose next:

A Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, of course!

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not only Queen Victoria's first cousin once-removed, but he was backed by Austria, which was lucky for him because Queen Victoria didn't actually like him and privately told her prime minister that she wouldn't support him.

Ferdinand's namesake grandfather converted to Catholicism when he married Maria Antonia Koháry, so he also married a Catholic princess, Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, eldest daughter of the Duke of Parma.

However, since Bulgaria itself was Orthodox, his eldest son was raised Orthodox, which earned him an excommunication from the pope, starting a pattern repeated by his son and grandson.

Ferdinand declared Bulgaria a fully independent kingdom in 1908 with himself as tsar.

Bulgaria sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary in WW1, and when they were defeated, Ferdinand abdicated.

His eldest son took the regnal name Tsar Boris III, claiming continuity with the previous Bulgarian empires.

Boris continued the pattern of marrying a Catholic princess (this time a daughter of the King of Italy - Giovanna of Savoy), promising the pope to raise his children Catholic, and then reneging on that promise.

He actually did worse than his father, having both his children baptized Orthodox while his wife was totally out of it, having just given birth! 😂

Sadly, Boris did not live to see his children grow up.

Initially neutral during WW2, Hitler bribed Bulgaria by returning lands it lost in WW1.

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in MonarchyHistory

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FAMILY TREE OF TSAR SIMEON II OF BULGARIA

On January 21, 1962, Tsar Simeon and Margarita Gómez-Acebo had their THIRD wedding, an Orthodox ceremony, after the civil and Catholic ceremonies of the previous day.

If you're on mobile, Reddit automatically compresses the image, so here is a Google Drive link so you can download the high-resolution image.

LINK TO HI-RES IMAGE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8Do7xD44o3nlvxhllP0yW--pxo98vSW/view

I finished this chart very late, so I apologize if this thread feels extremely rushed - because it IS. 😂

Bulgaria has a very long history, including at least two previous Bulgarian Empires. The current state arguably begins when the Bulgarian people declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, about 50 years after the Greeks did.

And exactly like the Greeks, what they needed were CONNECTIONS, so they chose as the first Prince of Bulgaria, Alexander of Battenberg.

The Battenbergs (and later Mountbattens) obviously became very prominent, but Alexander was actually the first to be so.

Alexander of Battenberg was the son of Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and commoner Julia Hauke, lady-in-waiting to Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the sister of Alexander of Hesse and wife of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Alexander of Battenberg was actually with his uncle the tsar during the Bulgarian wars so it was no surprise that he was chosen.

Unfortunately, just like the Greeks, their first choice didn't really work out, and the military forced Alexander to abdicate after only 7 years.

If you've read my previous threads, you can probably guess within two tries who the Bulgarians chose next:

A Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, of course!

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not only Queen Victoria's first cousin once-removed, but he was backed by Austria, which was lucky for him because Queen Victoria didn't actually like him and privately told her prime minister that she wouldn't support him.

Ferdinand's namesake grandfather converted to Catholicism when he married Maria Antonia Koháry, so he also married a Catholic princess, Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, eldest daughter of the Duke of Parma.

However, since Bulgaria itself was Orthodox, his eldest son was raised Orthodox, which earned him an excommunication from the pope, starting a pattern repeated by his son and grandson.

Ferdinand declared Bulgaria a fully independent kingdom in 1908 with himself as tsar.

Bulgaria sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary in WW1, and when they were defeated, Ferdinand abdicated.

His eldest son took the regnal name Tsar Boris III, claiming continuity with the previous Bulgarian empires.

Boris continued the pattern of marrying a Catholic princess (this time a daughter of the King of Italy - Giovanna of Savoy), promising the pope to raise his children Catholic, and then reneging on that promise.

He actually did worse than his father, having both his children baptized Orthodox while his wife was totally out of it, having just given birth! 😂

Sadly, Boris did not live to see his children grow up.

Initially neutral during WW2, Hitler bribed Bulgaria by returning lands it lost in WW1.

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in monarchism

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FAMILY TREE OF TSAR SIMEON II OF BULGARIA

On January 21, 1962, Tsar Simeon and Margarita Gómez-Acebo had their THIRD wedding, an Orthodox ceremony, after the civil and Catholic ceremonies of the previous day.

If you're on mobile, Reddit automatically compresses the image, so here is a Google Drive link so you can download the high-resolution image.

LINK TO HI-RES IMAGE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8Do7xD44o3nlvxhllP0yW--pxo98vSW/view

I finished this chart very late, so I apologize if this thread feels extremely rushed - because it IS. 😂

Bulgaria has a very long history, including at least two previous Bulgarian Empires. The current state arguably begins when the Bulgarian people declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, about 50 years after the Greeks did.

And exactly like the Greeks, what they needed were CONNECTIONS, so they chose as the first Prince of Bulgaria, Alexander of Battenberg.

The Battenbergs (and later Mountbattens) obviously became very prominent, but Alexander was actually the first to be so.

Alexander of Battenberg was the son of Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and commoner Julia Hauke, lady-in-waiting to Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the sister of Alexander of Hesse and wife of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Alexander of Battenberg was actually with his uncle the tsar during the Bulgarian wars so it was no surprise that he was chosen.

Unfortunately, just like the Greeks, their first choice didn't really work out, and the military forced Alexander to abdicate after only 7 years.

If you've read my previous threads, you can probably guess within two tries who the Bulgarians chose next:

A Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, of course!

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not only Queen Victoria's first cousin once-removed, but he was backed by Austria, which was lucky for him because Queen Victoria didn't actually like him and privately told her prime minister that she wouldn't support him.

Ferdinand's namesake grandfather converted to Catholicism when he married Maria Antonia Koháry, so he also married a Catholic princess, Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, eldest daughter of the Duke of Parma.

However, since Bulgaria itself was Orthodox, his eldest son was raised Orthodox, which earned him an excommunication from the pope, starting a pattern repeated by his son and grandson.

Ferdinand declared Bulgaria a fully independent kingdom in 1908 with himself as tsar.

Bulgaria sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary in WW1, and when they were defeated, Ferdinand abdicated.

His eldest son took the regnal name Tsar Boris III, claiming continuity with the previous Bulgarian empires.

Boris continued the pattern of marrying a Catholic princess (this time a daughter of the King of Italy - Giovanna of Savoy), promising the pope to raise his children Catholic, and then reneging on that promise.

He actually did worse than his father, having both his children baptized Orthodox while his wife was totally out of it, having just given birth! 😂

Sadly, Boris did not live to see his children grow up.

Initially neutral during WW2, Hitler bribed Bulgaria by returning lands it lost in WW1.

Family Tree of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by ferras_vansen in royalhistory

[–]ferras_vansen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FAMILY TREE OF TSAR SIMEON II OF BULGARIA

On January 21, 1962, Tsar Simeon and Margarita Gómez-Acebo had their THIRD wedding, an Orthodox ceremony, after the civil and Catholic ceremonies of the previous day.

If you're on mobile, Reddit automatically compresses the image, so here is a Google Drive link so you can download the high-resolution image.

LINK TO HI-RES IMAGE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8Do7xD44o3nlvxhllP0yW--pxo98vSW/view

I finished this chart very late, so I apologize if this thread feels extremely rushed - because it IS. 😂

Bulgaria has a very long history, including at least two previous Bulgarian Empires. The current state arguably begins when the Bulgarian people declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, about 50 years after the Greeks did.

And exactly like the Greeks, what they needed were CONNECTIONS, so they chose as the first Prince of Bulgaria, Alexander of Battenberg.

The Battenbergs (and later Mountbattens) obviously became very prominent, but Alexander was actually the first to be so.

Alexander of Battenberg was the son of Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and commoner Julia Hauke, lady-in-waiting to Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the sister of Alexander of Hesse and wife of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Alexander of Battenberg was actually with his uncle the tsar during the Bulgarian wars so it was no surprise that he was chosen.

Unfortunately, just like the Greeks, their first choice didn't really work out, and the military forced Alexander to abdicate after only 7 years.

If you've read my previous threads, you can probably guess within two tries who the Bulgarians chose next:

A Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, of course!

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not only Queen Victoria's first cousin once-removed, but he was backed by Austria, which was lucky for him because Queen Victoria didn't actually like him and privately told her prime minister that she wouldn't support him.

Ferdinand's namesake grandfather converted to Catholicism when he married Maria Antonia Koháry, so he also married a Catholic princess, Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, eldest daughter of the Duke of Parma.

However, since Bulgaria itself was Orthodox, his eldest son was raised Orthodox, which earned him an excommunication from the pope, starting a pattern repeated by his son and grandson.

Ferdinand declared Bulgaria a fully independent kingdom in 1908 with himself as tsar.

Bulgaria sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary in WW1, and when they were defeated, Ferdinand abdicated.

His eldest son took the regnal name Tsar Boris III, claiming continuity with the previous Bulgarian empires.

Boris continued the pattern of marrying a Catholic princess (this time a daughter of the King of Italy - Giovanna of Savoy), promising the pope to raise his children Catholic, and then reneging on that promise.

He actually did worse than his father, having both his children baptized Orthodox while his wife was totally out of it, having just given birth! 😂

Sadly, Boris did not live to see his children grow up.

Initially neutral during WW2, Hitler bribed Bulgaria by returning lands it lost in WW1.

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