LIST OF BULGARIAN SOVEREIGNS 632/681-1946:
FIRST BULGARIAN MONARCHY
BULGARIAN KHANATE 632/681-865:
HOUSE OF DULO
632-668: KUBRAT (ruled in Old Great Bulgaria)
668-671: BAYAN (ruled in Old Great Bulgaria)
679-700: ASPARUKH
700-721: TERVEL
721-738: KORMESII
738-753: SEVAR
HOUSE OF VOKIL
753-756: KORMISOSH
756-762: VINEKH
BOYAR RULERS
762-765: TELETS
765-766: SABIN
766: UMAR
766-767: TOKTU
767-768: PAGAN
768-777: TELERIG
777-803: KARDAM
HOUSE OF KRUM
803-814: KRUM THE TERRIBLE (Krum Strashny)
Born in ?
His issue who reigned: OMURTAG (+831).
Died in 814.
814-831: OMURTAG
Born in ?
Father: Khan Krum of Bulgaria.
His issue who reigned: MALAMIR (+836).
Died in 831.
831-836: MALAMIR
Born in ?
Father: Khan Omurtag of Bulgaria.
Died in 836.
836-852: PRESIAN
Born in ?
Father: Svinitsa of Bulgaria.
His issue who reigned: BORIS I (+907).
Died in 852.
852-865: BORIS I (Prince from 865)
PRINCIPALITY OF BULGARIA 865-919:
HOUSE OF KRUM
865-889: BORIS I
Born in ?
Father: Khan Presian of Bulgaria.
Married Maria.
His issue who reigned:
-VLADIMIR,
-SIMEON I (*c. 866,+927).
Abdicated in 889 and became a monk.
Died in 907.
Buried in the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of God at Maryan.
889-893: VLADIMIR
Born in ?
Father: Prince Boris I of Bulgaria. Mother: Maria.
Deposed in 893.
893-919: SIMEON I THE GREAT (Simeon I Veliki; Czar from 919)
KINGDOM OF BULGARIA 919-971:
HOUSE OF KRUM (CZARS)
919-927: SIMEON I THE GREAT (Simeon I Veliki)
Born in c. 866.
Father: Prince Boris I of Bulgaria. Mother: Maria.
Married twice.
He was crowned in 913 outside Constantinople.
His issue who reigned: PETER I (+970).
Died in 927.
Buried in the Golden Church at Preslav.
927-969: PETER I (Petur I)
Born in ?
Father: Czar Simeon I of Bulgaria.
Married in 927 in Constantinople Princess Maria Irene of Byzantium (+c. 963).
His issue who reigned:
-BORIS II (*before 931,+984/86),
-ROMAN (*c. 930,+997/98).
Abdicated in 969 and became a monk.
Died in 970.
Buried in the Golden Church at Preslav.
969-971: BORIS II
Born before 931.
Father: Czar Peter I of Bulgaria. Mother Czarina Irene of Byzantium.
Married an unknown woman.
Deposed in 971 and lived in captivity in Constantinople.
Died in 977 (killed).
971-977: BYZANTINE RULE
KINGDOM OF BULGARIA 977-1018:
HOUSE OF KRUM (CZARS)
977-997: ROMAN
Born in c. 930.
Father: Czar Peter I of Bulgaria. Mother Czarina Irene of Byzantium.
Unmarried.
He was crowned in 978 at Vidin.
Taken prisoner by the Byzantinians in 991.
Died in 997 in Constantinople.
HOUSE OF KOMITOPUL (CZARS)
Czar Samuel
997-1014: SAMUEL (Samuil)
Born in c. 958.
Married in the 970s Agatha of Durazzo (*in Larisa, Greece).
He was crowned in 997 in the Basilica of St Achilles on the Lake Mikri Prespa.
His issue who reigned: GABRIEL RADOMIR (*c. 970,+1015).
Died in 1014 at Prilep (now Macedonia).
Buried in the Basilica of St Achilles on the Lake Mikri Prespa (now Greece).
1014-1015: GABRIEL RADOMIR (Gavril Radomir)
Born in c. 970.
Father: Czar Samuel of Bulgaria. Mother Czarina Agatha of Durazzo.
Married firstly c. 973 a Hungarian princess, daughter of Duke Géza. Divorced.
Married secondly Irene (+1015).
Died in 1015 (murdered).
1015-1018: IVAN LADISLAUS (Ivan Vladislav)
Born in ?
Father: Prince Aron of Bulgaria.
Married Maria.
His issue who reigned: Catherine (Empress of Byzantium).
Died in 1018 in the Battle of Durazzo (Durrës, Albania).
Buried in the Basilica of St Achilles on the Lake Mikri Prespa (now Greece).
1018-1185: BYZANTINE RULE
SECOND BULGARIAN MONARCHY
KINGDOM OF BULGARIA 1185-1396:
HOUSE OF ASEN (CZARS)
1185-1197: PETER II (Petur II)
Born in ?
Father: a Wallachian nobleman.
Crowned in 1185 in the Church of St Demetrius at Turnovo.
Died in 1197.
Buried in the Church of St Demetrius at Turnovo.
1190-1196: IVAN ASEN I
Born in ?
Father: a Wallachian nobleman.
Crowned in 1186 in the Church of St Demetrius at Turnovo.
His issue who reigned: IVAN ASEN II (*c. 1190,+1241).
Died in 1196 (murdered).
Buried in the Church of St Demetrius at Turnovo.
1197-1207: KALOYAN
Born in c. 1170.
Father: a Wallachian nobleman.
Married a Cuman princess.
He was crowned in 1204 in the Church of St Demetrius in Turnovo.
His issue who reigned: Maria (+after 1216; Empress of Constantinople).
Died in 1207 (murdered).
Buried in the Holy Forty Martyrs' Church in Turnovo.
1207-1218: BORIL
Born in ?
Mother: a Bulgarian princess.
Married the widow of Czar Kaloyan.
Deposed in 1218 and kept in a monastery.
1218-1241: IVAN ASEN II
Born in c. 1190.
Father: Czar Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria.
Married firstly Anna.
Married secondly in 1221 Princess Anna Maria of Hungary (*1204,+1237).
Married thirdly in 1237/38 Princess Irene of Epirus.
His issue who reigned:
-Beloslava (+after 1285; Queen of Serbia; daughter of Anna).
-Elena (*c. 1224,+c. 1254; Empress of Nicaea; daughter of Maria),
-KOLOMAN I (*c. 1232,+1246; son of Maria).
-MICHAEL ASEN (*c. 1238,+1257; son of Irene),
-Anna; Maria (Czarina of Bulgaria; daughter of Irene).
Died in 1241.
Buried with his second and third consorts in the Holy Forty Martyrs' Church at Turnovo.
1241-1246: KOLOMAN I
Born in c. 1232.
Father: Czar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria. Mother: Czarina Maria of Hungary.
Died in 1246.
1246-1256: MICHAEL ASEN (Mihail Asen)
Born in c. 1238.
Father: Czar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria. Mother: Czarina Irene of Epirus.
Married in 1255 Princess Elizabeth of Chernihiv (+c. 1272/98).
Died in 1256 (murdered).
1256: KOLOMAN II
Born in ?
Father: Prince Alexander of Bulgaria.
Married a princess of Kiev.
Deposed in 1256 and murdered.
1256-1257: MITSO ASEN
Born in ?
Father: ?
Married Princess Maria of Bulgaria.
His issue who reigned:
-IVAN ASEN III (*1259/60,+c. 1302),
-Kira Maria (Czarina of Bulgaria).
Deposed in 1257 and exiled in Byzantium-Nicaea.
Died in c. 1277/78.
1257-1277: CONSTANTINE I* (Konstantin I)
Born in ?
Father: Tih of Skopje. Mother: a Serbian princess.
Married firstly an uknown woman.
Married secondly in 1258 Princess Irene of Byzantium-Nicaea (+1269/70).
Married thirdly in 1269/70 Maria Kantakuzena (+c. 1280).
Issue of his first marriage: one daughter married to Czar Smilets of Bulgaria.
Died in 1277 (murdered).
1277-1279: IVAILO*
Born in ?
Married in 1278 Dowager Czarina Maria of Bulgaria (+c. 1280).
Deposed in 1279 and exiled in the domains of the Golden Horde.
Died in 1279/80 (murdered).
1279-1280: IVAN ASEN III
Born in c. 1259/60.
Father: Czar Mitso Asen of Bulgaria. Mother: Czarina Maria of Bulgaria.
Married in 1278 Princess Irene of Byzantium.
Deposed in 1280 and exiled in Byzantium.
Died in c. 1302.
*not a member of the dynasty
HOUSE OF TERTER (CZARS)
1280-1292: GEORGE I TERTER (Georgi I Terter)
Born in ?
Married firstly Princess Kira Maria of Bulgaria.
Married secondly Maria (?)
He was crowned in 1280 in the Church of St Demetrius in Turnovo.
His issue who reigned:
-THEODORE SVETOSLAV (+1321),
-Anna (+after 1304; Queen of Serbia),
-one daughter married to Bulgarian Czar Chaka.
Exiled in Byzantium from 1292.
Died in c. 1308.
Buried in the Rocky Churches at Ivanovo.
1292-1298: SMILETS*
Born in ?
Married a daughter of Czar Constantine Asen.
His issue who reigned: Theodora (+1322; Queen of Serbia).
Died in c. 1298.
Buried in the Cave Krushtialnata at Ivanovo.
1299-1300: CHAKA*
Born in ?
Father: Nogai Khan. Mother: Alaka.
Married firstly a daughter of Czar George I Terter of Bulgaria.
Deposed and imprisoned in 1300.
Died in 1300 (strangled).
1300-1322: THEODORE SVETOSLAV (Todor Svetoslav)
Born in ?
Father: Czar George I Terter of the Bulgarians.
Married firstly Eufrosina Mankus (+1306).
Married secondly in 1308 Princess Theodora of Byzantium.
He was crowned in 1300 in the Church of St Demetrius in Turnovo.
His issue who reigned: GEORGE II TERTER (*before 1307,+1323; son of Eufrosina).
Died in 1322.
His second consort Czarina Theodora was buried in the Convent of Kyra Martha at Constantinople.
1322-1323: GEORGE II TERTER (Georgi II Terter)
Born before 1307.
Father: Czar Theodore Svetoslav of the Bulgarians. Mother: Czarina Eufrosina.
Probably unmarried.
Died in 1323.
*not a member of the dynasty
HOUSE OF SHISHMAN (CZARS)
1323-1330: MICHAEL SHISHMAN (Mihail Shishman)
Born in ?
Father: Shishman.
Married secondly in c. 1300 Princess Anna of Serbia (+after 1346). Divorced in 1324.
Married thirdly in c. 1324 Theodora of Byzantium, second consort of Czar Theodore Svetoslav.
His issue who reigned: IVAN STEPHEN (+c. 1373).
Died in 1330.
Buried in the Church of St George at Staro Nagoricane, Macedonia.
His third consort Czarina Theodora was buried in the Convent of Kyra Martha at Constantinople.
1330-1331: IVAN STEPHEN (Ivan Stefan)
Born in ?
Father: Czar Michael Shishman of the Bulgarians.
Married.
Left for Naples in 1331.
Died in c. 1373 at Naples.
1331-1371: IVAN ALEXANDER (Ivan Aleksandr)
Born in ?
Father: Sratsimir. Mother: Princess Kereza Petriza of Bulgaria.
Married firstly in c. 1320 Princess Theodora of Wallachia (+1371). Divorced in 1340.
Married secondly Sarah (Theodora).
His issue who reigned:
-IVAN SRATSIMIR (+after 1396; son of Theodora),
-Kera Tamara (married Sultan Murat I of Turkey; daughter of Theodora),
-IVAN SHISHMAN (+1395; son of Sarah),
-Keratza (*1348,+1390; Empress of Byzantium; daughter of Sarah).
Died in 1371.
Buried with his second consort Czarina Theodora in the Church of St Petka in Turnovo.
1371-1393/95: IVAN SHISHMAN (Czar of Tarnovo-Bulgaria)
Born in ?
Father: Czar Ivan Alexander of the Bulgarians. Mother: Czarina Theodora.
Married firstly Maria.
Married secondly Princess Dragana of Serbia (*after 1348,+1395).
Captured by the Turks in 1393 and imprisoned at Phillippopolis (Plovdiv).
Died in 1395 at Phillippopolis (Plovdiv).
1356-1396: IVAN SRATSIMIR (Czar of Vidin-Bulgaria)
Born in ?
Father: Czar Ivan Alexander of the Bulgarians. Mother: Czarina Theodora of Wallachia.
Married before 1369 Princess Anna Slava of Wallachia.
He was crowned in 1356 at Vidin.
His issue who reigned: Doroslava (c. 1390; Queen of Bosnia).
Died in c. 1396.
1396-1878: OTTOMAN RULE
THIRD BULGARIAN MONARCHY
PRINCIPALITY OF BULGARIA 1878-1908 (TURKISH FIEF):
HOUSE OF BATTENBERG (click here to see the tree)
Prince Alexander I
1879-1886: ALEXANDER I BATTENBERG (Aleksandr I Batenberg)
Born in 1857 in Verona.
Father: Grand Duke Alexander of Hesse. Mother: Countess Julia Hauke.
Married in 1889 in Menton Johanna Loisinger (*1865 Bratislava,+1951 Vienna).
Elected Prince of Bulgaria in 1879 in Turnovo.
He was never crowned.
Abdicated in 1886 in Sofia and exiled in Austria.
Died in 1893 in Graz, Austria.
Buried firstly at the Church of St George in Sofia. In 1898 his remains were translated to the Battenberg Mausoleum in Sofia.
His wife Countess Johanna was buried on St Leonhard Cemetery at Graz, Austria.
HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA
1887-1908: FERDINAND I (Czar of the Bulgarians from 1908)
KINGDOM OF BULGARIA 1908-1946:
HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (click here to see the tree)
Czar Ferdinand I
1908-1918: FERDINAND I
Born in 1861 in Vienna.
Father: Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Mother: Princess Clementine of Orléans.
Married firstly in 1893 in Villa Pianore Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (*1870 Rome,+1899 Sofia).
Married secondly in 1908 in Coburg (Catholic wedding) and in Gera (Protestant wedding) Princess Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz (*1860 Trebschen,+1917 Evksinograd near Varna).
He was never crowned.
His issue who reigned: BORIS III (*1894,+1943; son of Marie Louise).
Deposed in 1918 and exiled in Germany.
Died in 1948 in Coburg.
Buried at St Augustin's Church in Coburg, Germany.
His first consort Princess Marie Louise was buried in the Catholic Cathedral of St Louis at Plovdiv.
His second consort Czarina Eleonore was buried outside Boyana Church on Sofia's outskirts.
Czar Boris III
1918-1943: BORIS III
Born in 1894 in Sofia.
Father: Czar Ferdinand I of the Bulgarians. Mother: Czarina Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma.
Married in 1930 in Assisi, Italy Princess Giovanna of Savoy (*1907 Rome,+2000 Estoril, Portugal).
He was never crowned.
His issue who reigned: SIMEON II (*1937).
Died in 1943 in Sofia (probably poisoned on Hitler's order).
Buried at Rila Monastery.
His consort Czarina Giovanna was buried in the cemetery in Assisi, Italy.
Czar Simeon II
1943-1946: SIMEON II
Born in 1937 in Sofia.
Father: Czar Boris III of the Bulgarians. Mother: Czarina Giovanna of Savoy.
Married in 1962 in Vevey, Switzerland Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela (*1935 Madrid).
He was never crowned.
Issue of marriage: Kardam (*1962); Kyril (*1964); Kubrat (*1965); Konstantin-Asen (*1967); Kalina (*1972).
Deposed in 1946 and exiled in Egypt (1946-1951) and in Spain (1951-1996).
In 1996 Czar Simeon II returned from his exile to Bulgaria.
He was Bulgaria's Prime Minister 2001-2005.
REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA SINCE 1946
Select Bibliography
Burke's Royal Families of the World, vol. I: Europe and Latin America, London 1977