Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/820

 nO.S BULGARIA

BULGARIA

Reigning King,

Ferdinand youngest son of the late Prince Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the late Princess Clementine of Bourbon-Orleans (daughter of King Louis Philippe), born February 26, 1861, was elected Prince of Bulgaria by unanimous vote of the National Assembly, July 7, 1887 ; assumed the govern- ment August 14, 1887, in succession to Prince Alexander, who had abdicated September 7, 1886, His election was confirmed by the Porte and the Great Powers in March, 1896. Married (1) April 20, 1893, to Marie Louise (died January 31, 1899), eldest daughter of Duke Robert of Parma ; issue, Boris, born January 30, 1894 ; Cyril, born November 17, 1895 ; Eudoxia, born January 17, 1898 ; Nadejda, born January 30, 1899. (2) On February 28, 1908, to Princess Eleonore of Keuss Kostritz.

The Prince must reside permanently in the Principality. The princely title is hereditary. In May 1893, the Grand Sobranje confirmed the title of " Royal Highness " to the Prince and his heir, and this style was recognised by the Porte and by Russia in April, 1896. On July 10, 1911, the Grand Sobranje confirmed the title of " King." According to the Constitution the Sovereign must profess the Orthodox religion, excepting the case of the present King.

The civil list is fixed at 1,250,000 leva (francs), besides 830,000 leva for the maintenance of palaces, &c.

Constitution and Government.

The Principality of Bulgaria was created by the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878. It was ordered by the Treaty that Bulgaria should be con- stituted an autonomous and tributary Principality under the suzerainty of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan with a Christian Government and a national militia. The Prince of Bulgaria should be freely elected by the population and confirmed by the Sublime Porte, with the consent of the Powers, but no member of any of the reigning Houses of the Great European Powers should be elected. On October 5, 1908, Bulgaria declared her independence. The difficulty as to compensation to the Turkish Government in respect of railway claims has been arranged by an understanding between the Turkish Government and the Oriental Railways Company, and the Powers have recognised Bulgarian independence, and the title of " King of the Bulgarians " assumed by Prince Ferdinand.

Eastern Rumelia (since its union with Bulgaria also known as Southern Bulgaria) was created by the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878. It was to remain under the direct political and military authority of the Sultan, under conditions of administrative autonomy, with a Governor-General nominated by the Porte. On September 18, 1885, the Government was overthrown by a revolution, and the union of the province with Bulgaria proclaimed. As the result of the Conference held at Constantinople by the representatives of the signatory Powders of the Berlin Treaty during the latter months of 1885, the Sultan, by Imperial Firman, April 6, 1886, agreed that the government of Eastern Rumelia should be confided to the Prince of Bulgaria as Governor- General, the Mussulman districts of Kirjali and the Rupchus (Rhodope) being re-ceded to the Porte. The rectification of the Organic Statute— chiefly as concerned the questions of the tribute and the customs— was undertaken by a Turco-Bulgarian commission sitting at Sofia, but its labours were abruptly brought to a close by the events which overthrew Prince Alexander on the nio-ht of August 20, 1886. The province for all purposes forms part of Bul- c^aria. It is under the administration at Sofia, which is now the only recog- nised capital, Philippopolis being merely the seat of a prefecture.

By the Constitution of 1879, amended M;ay, 1893, and June, 1911, the