Tzar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and his family

[Marc]

[Marc]

I would like to know much more about this Queen,born Princess of Bourbon-Parma and would also like to see if someone has some colour portrait of her?

[Marc]

[Marc]

This one is great,but without colour   So,I am wondering if someone has some(don't have to bee this one) colour portrait of her?Thanks

[casey]

"Queen" Marie-Louise was actually never a queen.  During her life, Bulgaria was a principality and she was titled Princess Marie-Louise of Bulgaria.

[Marc]

Casey,I checked it now and you are right!Anyway,I would like to know much more about this woman and to see some colour portrait of her-if posible?

[Prince_Leo_Teles]

hi marc....

i have no portraits, but have some info: Maria Louise was the eldest daugther of Robert of Parma's (1848-1907) first marriage with Princess Maria Pia Bourbon des deux Sicilies (!849-1882). After Ferdinand of Bulgaria became Prince of Bulgaria in 1887, he was wandering around Europe in search for a wife, but to be honest was quite hard for him, once word was spread (even with some help of Queen Victoria, his cousin) that Ferdinand "foxy" was "effeminate" and too much delicate. When he finally "negotiated" the marriage with D Robert (an exiled king living in Austria) there were a huge problem about religion, being the Parmas catholic and Bulgaria Orthodox. The pope didnt want to give consent for that and it needed several crown heads of Europe to give a "little help" to persuade the pope to give up and finally Maria Louise and Ferdinand got married. I have to say that besides four children in 5 years of marriage, they were not at all the happy couple. She detested her new country and her mother-in-law, Princess Clementine of Bourbon was harsh and very rude with her.

Just after she got pregnant for the last time in early 1899, she decided to leave Bulgaria, but once arriving back to her father's house, she was forced to go back again to her husbands. She died on childbirth of Princess Nadezhda.

Children:

King Boris III (1894-1943) - King (1918-1943)
Prince Kiryl (1895-1945)
Princess Euoxia (1898-1985)
Princess Nadezdha (1899-1958)

hope i helped you in some way  

[Marc]

Thanks,if someone finds any colour portrait of her,please post it!

[dvoretzky]

Sorry, can't give you a link right now. I shall try to scan a colour pic later. By the way, Maria Louisa is buried in the St. Louis Catholic Cathedral in Plovdiv.

[Marc]

Please,please,please scan it and post it!   I would like to see her colour portrait so much!

[cimbrio]

I was in Bulgaria a few years ago (twice) and was pleased to see that several streets and places still have (or rather, perhaps reverted to) their Royal Name (Maria Luisa Ulitsa, Battenberg Palace, etc.). The Battenberg Palace was in fact very beautiful and I felt so very proud of being in a place Alexander of Bulgaria once was. The Palace is modest, small by palace standards (nothing like the Winter Palace or Schonbronn or Neuschwanstein, but really very very small), and is located at the centre of the city, not far from the Government House and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in 1912. There is also a statue dedicated to the Russian Liberator Tsar. Also very impressive is a Church (or maybe another Cathedral, can't remember) which was totally blown up during an assassination attemopt in the 1920's or 30's on Boris II's life. I remember being told he escaped without injuries but hundreds were killed, though don't quote me as it was some time ago and can't remember the aprticular details... I saw Boris III's tomb in the Rila Monastery, which was visited by the Pope a few months later. Beautiful country, and Simeon II is highly esteemed by three generations I met at least, though there is no question of Bulgaria becoming a Tsardom again, so they told me

[Prince_Leo_Teles]

hi ciumbrio

nice description of Sofia. I was there 7 years ago in a horrible and severe winter, so only spent 1 day really!!! i was on my way from Bucarest to Athens. But i still remenber seeing the Palace from the taxi that i was in and one day definitely i want to go back and visit it better

[dvoretzky]

The former Royal Palace now serves as National Gallery and Ethnographic Museum. It has wonderful collections but the building badly needs some repairs. The facade has been given some lifting courtesy of the Messerschmit Foundation but it is not enough.

[cimbrio]

The city is really wonderful, I certainly could feel the old tsarist days with all the buildings etc. Certainly the building needs some repair, but all in all it's a nice place

[popov_2000]

Somewhere I read that Prince Kyril was considered to become King of Albania.
I do not know if that is true. Have you guys heard anything like that ?