Paving the Way for Bulgarian Prince Ferdinand’s Marriage and Facilitating the Creation of a Dynasty (1892–1893)

Bulgarian Historical Review, 54 (2026), No. 2, pp. 13-68
DOI: https://doi.org/10.71069/BHR2.26.EH02

Ergün Hasanoğlu

Ergün Hasanoğlu, Ph.D. - Independent Researcher, Lüleburgaz, Türkiye; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0583-734X, E-mail: ergunhasanoglu39@gmail.com

Abstract: This study aims to focus on the rationale, developments and consequences of the amendment of the Tarnovo Constitution, in particular Article 38, which was submitted by Stefan Stambolov to the Bulgarian Ordinary Assembly on December 4/16, 1892, and formally approved by the Bulgarian Grand National Assembly on May 5/17, 1893. According to Article 38 of the Constitution, “The Bulgarian Prince and his descendants could not profess any other faith than the Orthodox. Only the first elected Prince of Bulgaria, if he belonged to another faith, could remain in it.” This article created an exception and gave the first prince elected the right to remain in his own sect. With the constitutional draft presented to the parliament by the Government of Stefan Stambolov (1887-1894), it was targeted to grant this exception granted to the prince to his first son as well. It was suggested that Article 38 should be as follows: “The Bulgarian prince cannot profess any other faith than the Orthodox. Only the Prince who has by choice ascended the Bulgarian throne, if he belongs to any other Christian denomination, both he and the first heir to the throne may remain in it.” The purpose of the amendment to Article 38 was to pave the way for Prince Ferdinand’s marriage and to facilitate the create a dynasty. In this way, both internal and external interventions against the prince would be prevented and stability would be ensured. As in the case of Prince Alexander I of Bulgaria, the Bulgarian throne would not remain vacant again.

In this study, the constitutional amendment debates in the Bulgarian Assembly specifically regarding Article 38 are addressed, and the perspectives of Sultan Abdulhamid II and Ottoman statesmen, as well as those of the diplomats of the Great Powers on this amendment, and the attitude of the Bulgarian Exarchate toward the amendment are explained. Additionally, the marriage process of Bulgarian Prince Ferdinand I of Bulgaria is mentioned, and while the possibility of the prince and princess, who were married in Italy, returning to Sofia via Istanbul is discussed, the approach of the sultan and the Sublime Porte toward this possibility is also explained. Finally, talks about the official ratification of the constitutional amendment and the process of Ferdinand’s official recognition briefly touches upon. The main sources of this study are Ottoman and Bulgarian archive documents. In addition, parliamentary minutes, memoirs of the witnesses of the period, periodicals, research works were also used.

Keywords: Ottoman Empire, Principality of Bulgaria, Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, Stefan Stambolov, Tarnovo Constitution

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