The Bulgarian Royal Court 1879–1946. Characteristics, Ranks, Occupations

Bulgarian Historical Review, 53 (2025), No. 2, pp. 45-79
DOI: https://doi.org/10.71069/BHR2.25.PSIS03

Peter Stoyanovich, Ivaylo Shalafoff

Prof. Peter Stoyanovich, D.Sc. - Institute for Historical Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 52 Shipchenski Prohod Blvd, build. 17; Universität Wien. ORCID ID 0000-0002-7702-0785, E-mail: pstoyanovich@gmail.com
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Shalafoff, Doctor of Theology - Sofia University “Saint Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Theology, Sofia 1000, 19 Sveta Nedelya Sq.; King Boris and Queen Giovanna Heritage Fund, Royal Palace of Vrana; Sofia 1186, 381 Tsarigradsko shosse. ORCID ID 0009-0001-9329-0435, E-mail: schalafoff@gmail.com

Abstract: This study is devoted to the royal court of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom, a topic that has not been fully explored to date, although a number of studies have touched upon it briefly. The Bulgarian Principality, newly established by the Tarnovo Constitution, was a hereditary and constitutional monarchy headed by a head of state – the Prince of Bulgaria, and after 1908, the King of the Bulgarians. Although until 1908 the status of the Bulgarian royal court was subject to the formal restrictions of Ottoman vassalage, internally the court functioned fully, bearing the hallmarks of any European monarchical court, albeit on a completely different scale, with its strict hierarchy, services, and offices. The study traces the development of the court apparatus under the four Bulgarian rulers, each of whom had their own specific characteristics, scale, and structure. Modest and limited under Prince Alexander I, developed and enriched with ceremoniality and palace splendor under Prince/King Ferdinand I, practical and in line with the realities of the time under King Boris III, and marked by the vicissitudes of dramatic events under King Simeon II. During the 67-year period of the Bulgarian principality/kingdom under consideration, the royal court gradually acquired its final form, characteristic of other monarchies, with the difference that in their case it was built and perfected over centuries. The Bulgarian court had its own civil and military retinue, its own Court Marshal, who stood at the head of the entire palace hierarchy, its own Chancellery of Orders, its own chamberlains, aide-de-camps, secret advisors, secretaries, valets, personal physicians, civil service intendants, court suppliers, scientific and museum institutions with special status. The most significant difference between European practice and the Bulgarian reality was that while in Europe courtiers belonged to the highest aristocracy, in Bulgaria court positions were mainly filled by members of the officer corps. Since it governed a society without an aristocracy, and egalitarianism was a national philosophy in Bulgaria, it can be said without hesitation that the royal house was a kind of employer, offering opportunities for serious career and social advancement to all social strata.

Keywords: royal court, Bulgarian Kingdom 1879–1946, Alexander I, Ferdinand I, Boris III, Simeon II, court life, monarchy.

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