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...

As heir to the throne, the Prince of Tirnovo spent his early childhood with
his parents and elder sister Princess Marie-Louise, in the palace of Vrana,
near Sofia, where he began school.

Upon King Boris' sudden death on August 28th, 1943, he acceded to the
throne as King Simeon II and, being a minor, as required by the Tirnovo
Constitution, a three member Council of Regency was formed.

Following the communist coup in September 1944, His Majesty stayed on
the throne, though his uncle and Regent, Prince Kyril, together with the
two other Regents, and most of the country's leaders and intelligentsia
were executed.  On September 16th, 1946, a rigged  referendum was held,
under the threat of the Soviet Army units, stationed at the same time in
Bulgaria.  Without abdicating, King Simeon left Bulgaria with his family
and a very small retinue.

Via Istanbul, the Royal exiles sailed to Alexandria, Egypt, where the
young King went to Victoria College, a British school.

In July 1951, the Spanish Government granted the Bulgarian royal
family asylum, allowing it to settle in Madrid.

........


na kraq:


 HIS MAJESTY SIMEON II, KING OF THE BULGARIANS
 Concise Personal History in dates:
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