The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry is the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...

of the

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (; german: Haus Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) is a European royal house. It takes its name from its oldest domain, the Ernestine duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, its members later sat on the thrones of Belgium, Bu ...

, founded after the marriage of

Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Ferdinand Georg August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (28 March 1785 – 27 August 1851) was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and a general of cavalry in the Austrian Imperial and Royal Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Despite ...

and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Among its descendants were the last four kings of Portugal ( Pedro V, Luís I,

Carlos I Carlos I may refer to: *Carlos I of Spain (1500–1558), also Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire *Carlos I of Portugal (1863–1908), King of Portugal *Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, ...

, Manuel II) and the last three

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

s of Bulgaria ( Ferdinand I,

Boris III Boris III ( bg, Борѝс III ; Boris Treti; 28 August 1943), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier) , was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until h ...

, Simeon II). After the change of the “House laws” by King Simeon, the present head of the house is his sister

Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria ( bg, Княгиня Мария Луиза Българска; born 13 January 1933, Sofia) is the daughter of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Ioanna and the older sister of Simeon II of Bulgaria. Montgomery-Mas ...

, Princess of Koháry.

History

After the marriage of Prince Ferdinand and Princess Maria Antonia in January 1816 and the death of his father-in-law, Prince Ferencz József Koháry de Csábrág, in 1826, Prince Ferdinand inherited the Hungarian princely estate of Koháry and converted to Roman Catholicism. The descendants of this branch married a queen-regnant of Portugal, an imperial princess of Brazil, an archduchess of Austria, a French royal princess, a royal princess of Belgium, and a royal princess of Saxony. A

scion Scion may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities *Scion, a playable class in the game '' Path of Exile'' (2013) *Atlantean Scion, a device in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game series *Scions, an alien race in the video game ''B ...

of this branch, also named

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

, became ruling Prince, and then

, of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

, and his descendants continued to rule there until 1946. The current head of the House of Bulgaria, the former Tsar Simeon II who was

deposed Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch.
ORB: The Online Reference for Med ...

and

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

d after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, goes by the name ''

Simeon Sakskoburggotski Simeon Borisov von Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( bg, Симеон Борисов Сакскобургготски, translit=Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, ; born 16 June 1937) is a Bulgarian politician who reigned as the last tsar of the Kingdom of Bul ...

.'' He served as Bulgaria's prime minister from 2001 to 2005, which makes him one of the only two former monarchs, who have become

heads of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...

through democratic elections. The Bulgarian director Andrey Paounov dedicated a documentary titled '' The Boy Who Was a King'', covering the returning of Simeon II to Bulgaria, his election as

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and his years in government. Prince Ferdinand and Princess Maria Antonia had four children, all of whom were raised Catholic: #

(1816–1885), the husband of

Queen Maria II of Portugal , image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg , caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835 , succession = Queen of Portugal , reign = , predecessor = Pedro IV , successor = Miguel I , reg-type = Regents , regent ...

. #

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...

(1818–1881), the father of

Ferdinand I of Bulgaria , image = Zar Ferdinand Bulgarien.jpg , caption = Ferdinand in 1912 , reign = 5 October 1908 – , coronation = , succession = Tsar of Bulgaria , predecessor = Himself as Prince , successor = Boris III , rei ...

. #

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

(1822–1857), married Louis, Duke of Nemours. #

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

(1824–1884). Ferdinand I. Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha Litho.jpg,

(1785–1851) Maria Antónia Koháry.jpg,

Princess Maria Antonia Koháry Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

(1797–1862) Kinder Herzog Ferdinands.jpg, Ferdinand of Portugal, Prince August and Princess Victoria with a bust of their father, Prince Ferdinand

Heads of the house

* Prince Ferdinand (1785–1851) ** Prince Ferdinand (1816–1885) Eldest Son of Prince Ferdinand co founder of

House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (also known as the House of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza or the Constitutional Branch of the Braganzas) is a term used to categorize the last four rulers of the Kingdom of Portugal, and their families, from 1853 ...

(line extinct in 1932) * Prince August (1851–1881) Second Son of Prince Ferdinand * Prince Philipp (1881–1921) Eldest Son of Prince August ** Prince Leopold Clement (died in 1916) Only Son of Prince Phillipp * Prince Pedro Augusto (1921–1934) Nephew of Prince Phillipp * Prince Rainer (1934–1945) Nephew of Prince Pedro Augusto * Prince Johannes Heinrich (1945–2010) Only Son of Prince Rainer ** Prince Johannes (died in 1987) Only Son of Prince Johannes Heinrich * Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria (2010–2012) Cousin of Prince Johannes Heinrich *

(2012–present) Sister of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria

Branches

Ducal branch

After the death of Prince Ferencz József Koháry, Prince Ferdinand re-organised the family fortune in two ''

Fideicommiss In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust established by deed or settlement which restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents the property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise alie ...

es'' and adopted the title of duke for himself and his heirs as ''Fideikommissherr''. Upon Ferdinand's death in 1851, he was succeeded as head of the family by his second son, Prince August; his eldest son, Ferdinand the younger, had to renounce his claim to the headship when he married

in 1836. After Prince August died, his eldest son Prince Philipp (1844–1921) became the third head of the family. As Philipp's only son, Prince Leopold Clement, had died before him, he was succeeded by his grand-nephews Rainer and

Philipp Philipp is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: "Philipp" has also been a shortened version of Philippson, a German surname especially prevalent amongst German Jews and Dutch Jews. Surname * Adolf Philipp (1864 ...

. The office of ''Fideikommissherr'' was abolished in 1938 after the

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

. Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.jpg,

Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha August Victor Louis of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (german: August Viktor Ludwig; 13 June 1818 – 26 July 1881), was a German prince of the Catholic House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry. He was a General Major in the Royal Saxon Army and the own ...

(1818–1881) Fphsaxecoburg.jpg,

Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ferdinand Philipp Maria August Raphael of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (28 March 1844 – 3 July 1921) was the second prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and lord of Csábrág and , both in modern-day Slovakia. Life Born in the Tuileries Palace in Paris as ...

(1844–1921), became head of the family after the death of his father, Prince August Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, Familie.JPG, The children of Prince August

Brazilian line

This line was founded by Prince Ludwig August, second son of

and Princess

Clémentine of Orléans ''Clémentine'' (pronounced ) was a 1985 French animated television series (in co-production with Japan). The series consisted of 39 episodes which featured the fantastic adventures of a 10-year-old girl (Clémentine Dumat) who uses a wheelchai ...

, who on 15 December 1864 married in Rio de Janeiro Princess

Leopoldina Leopoldina may refer to: * Colônia Leopoldina, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Alagoa * Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais * Maria Leopoldina of Austria (1797-1826), consort of emperor Pedro I ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. They had four sons; for a time, their two eldest sons, Princes

Peter August Peter August is a fictional character from '' General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, portrayed by Wes Ramsey. Peter is introduced as a media publisher in 2017, and is soon revealed to be the previously unknown son of Ces ...

and August Leopold, were

heirs presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to the Brazilian throne.Defrance, Olivier. ''La Médicis des Cobourg, Clémentine d’Orléans'', Bruxelles, Racine, 2007, pp. 233-234 () After the fall of the Brazilian monarchy in 1889, the family returned to Europe. Prince Rainer, who was appointed head of the house in 1921, was son of Prince August Leopold and grandson of Prince Ludwig August. D. Pedro Augusto de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança.jpg, Prince Peter August (1866-1934), became head of the family after the death of his uncle, Prince Philipp Augusto Leopoldo de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança.jpg, Prince August Leopold (1867–1922) Luís de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança.jpg, Prince Ludwig Gaston (1870-1942)

Portuguese branch

This branch was founded by the future King Fernando II of Portugal and his wife, Queen Maria II of the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...

. It ruled Portugal until the deposition of King Manuel II in 1910, after which it became extinct upon his death in 1932. Don Pedro V.jpg, Pedro V (1837-1861) SMF Luis.jpg, Luís I (1838–1889) Carlos of Portugal.jpg,

(1863-1908) D. Manuel II (1908) - José Nunes Ribeiro Júnior (MAR 16).png, Manuel II (1889-1932)

Bulgarian branch

This branch was founded by Prince August's youngest son

, who was elected as monarch of Bulgaria in 1887. The current Bulgarian royal family descends from him. Ferdinand of Bulgaria 2.jpg, Ferdinand I (1861–1948) BASA-3K-7-342-28-Boris III of Bulgaria.jpeg,

(1894–1943) BASA-3K-15-302-18-Simeon-The Prince of Turnovo.jpeg, Simeon II (*1937)

Properties and palaces

''Fideicommiss''

inherited over hectares of land in

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, including estates, forests, mines and factories. According to a list of assets appended to the marriage contract of her son, Prince August, at the time of his marriage to Princess Clémentine in 1843, the Koháry properties included the enormous ''Palais'' Koháry in the center of Vienna and several Viennese manors, a summer home and lands at

Ebenthal, Lower Austria Ebenthal is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Geography Ebenthal lies near Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type ...

, estates in Austria at

Velm Velm (, li, Vallem ) is one of the '' ancienne communes'' in the municipality of Sint-Truiden, Limburg province, Belgium. Velm is bounded in the east by the N80 motorway, leading to Namur, and in the west by the railroad from Sint-Truiden to L ...

, Durnkrut, Walterskirchen, Bohmischdrut and Althoflein, as well as a dozen manors in Hungary, the domain of Királytia, and a mansion at Pest. As late as 1868, when Antónia's grandson Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Alencon, married, it was estimated that he and his three siblings stood to inherit a total of a million francs just from their share of their late grandmother's estate. Until the first world war, her descendants were among the three largest landowners in Hungary. * Prinz Ferdinand Coburgsches Fideikommiss * Gräflich Kohárysches Fideikomiss The two ''

fideicommis A ''fideicommissum'' is a type of bequest in which the beneficiary is encumbered to convey parts of the decedent's estate to someone else. For example, if a father leaves the family house to his firstborn, on condition that they will bequeath it to ...

ses'' allowed to hold the family property in foundations owned by the whole family, but governed by the head of the family alone, the ''Fideicommissherr''. Aristocratic families had used this instrument to finance the representative household of the head of the family as well as to maintain palaces and castles, and to pay allowances to family members without personal wealth.

Palaces

File:Wien - Palais Coburg.JPG, Palais Coburg in Vienna, today a hotel. File:Svaty anton1 (cropped).JPG, Palace of

Svätý Anton Svätý Anton (; hu, Szentantal) is a village in Banská Štiavnica District in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia. It is situated near the historic town of Banská Štiavnica. During the period of Communist Czechoslovakia, the vil ...

in Slovakia, today a museum. File:Schloss Coburg in Ebenthal 02.jpg,

, today private property. File:Schloss Walterskirchen.jpg, Walterskirchen castle near Poysdorf, Lower Austria, is still owned by the family. File:Duernkrut gf.jpg,

Dürnkrut, Austria Dürnkrut ( sk, Kruta, Suchá Kruta, cs, Suché Kruty) is a market town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Castle Dürnkrut (pictured) is the most famous landmark of the town. The town is agricultural with so ...

, today the city hall of the municipality. File:L'Huillier-Coburg Palace.jpg,

L'Huillier-Coburg Palace L'Huillier-Coburg Palace in Edelény is the seventh largest palace in Hungary. This prominent example of early Baroque architecture was built between 1716 and 1730 by Jean-Francois L'Huillier, who originated from Alsace-Lorraine, France. In 172 ...

, acquired in 1831, today owned by the Hungarian state. File:Rathaus Schladming.jpg, Coburg castle,

Schladming Schladming is a small former mining town in the northwest of the Austrian state of Styria that is now a popular tourist destination. It has become a large winter-sports resort and has held various skiing competitions, including most notably the F ...

, built in 1885 for

Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Ludwig August Maria Eudes; 8 August 1845 – 14 September 1907), known in Brazil as Dom Luís Augusto, was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry and an Admiral in the Imperi ...

, today the city hall of the municipality. File:Vrana Palace.jpg,

Vrana Palace Vrana Palace ( bg, Дворец "Врана", translit=Dvorets "Vrana"; formerly ; ) is a former royal palace, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is today the official residence of former royal family of Bulgaria. While the ...

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

. Built in the beginning of the 20th century, it is now owned by the Sofia municipality. File:Euxinograd-palace-benkovski.png, Palace of

Euxinograd Euxinograd ( bg, Евксиноград , also transliterated as ''Evksinograd'') is a late 19th-century Bulgarian former royal summer palace and park on the Black Sea coast, north of downtown Varna. The palace is currently a governmental and ...

on the northern

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

coast of

. Built between 1881-1885 as a summer residence of

, today it is owned by the Bulgarian state. File:Palácio Leopoldina (1865)III.jpg, Leopoldina Palace,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. Acquired in 1865 to be residence to

Princess Leopoldina of Brazil Princess Leopoldina of Brazil (Leopoldina Teresa Francisca Carolina Miguela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga; 13 July 1847 – 7 February 1871) was the daughter of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina. She shared the first name of her grandmothe ...

, her husband

and their children. It was demolished in 1930.

Burial site

In 1851, a committee headed by Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha set out to plan the construction of a Roman Catholic church in Coburg with a burial vault underneath. St. Augustin was opened on 28 August 1860. The crypt contains the remains of fifteen members of the Koháry branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Coburg-St.Augustin.jpg, St. Augustin in Coburg Ferdinand I of Bulgaria.JPG, Prince

and his wife,

Princess Clémentine of Orléans Princess Clémentine of Orléans (french: Marie Clémentine Léopoldine Caroline Clotilde d'Orléans) (3 June 1817 – 16 February 1907), princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and duchess in Saxony, was the sixth child of ten and youngest daughter of ...

, are buried in a double

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

, the remains of their youngest son, Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, were placed at their feet. Túmulo de Dom Pedro Augusto.JPG, Sarcophagus of

Prince Pedro Augusto of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Peter August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ( pt, Pedro Augusto Luís Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 19 March 1866 – 6 July 1934), known in Brazil as Dom Pedro Augusto, was a prince of the Empire of Brazil and of the House of Saxe-C ...

(1866–1934)

References

External links

*
Saxe-Coburg-Koháry exposition in the Manor House Svätý Anton
{{DEFAULTSORT:House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Kohary House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1826 establishments in the Austrian Empire