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

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

cadet branch 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, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

of the

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ( ; ) is a European royal house of German origin. It takes its name from its oldest domain, the Ernestine duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and its members later sat on the thrones of Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal ...

, 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. Initia ...

and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Among its descendants were the last four kings of Portugal (

Pedro V Dom (honorific), Dom Pedro V (; 16 September 1837 – 11 November 1861), nicknamed "the Hopeful" (), was King of Portugal from 1853 until his death in 1861. Early life and reign As the eldest son of Maria II of Portugal, Queen Maria II and ...

, Luís, Carlos, Manuel II) and the last three

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

s of Bulgaria (

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

Boris III Boris III (; 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 his death in 1943. The eldest son ...

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

Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria (; born 13 January 1933) also known as Marie Louise Borisova Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, is the daughter of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria, Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna of Italy, Ioanna and the older sister of Simeon II ...

, 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 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 of this branch, also named

, became ruling Prince, and then

, of

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, 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 and

exile Exile or banishment 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 ...

d after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, goes by the name '' Simeon Sakskoburggotski.'' 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 In the executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official 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 A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

titled '' The Boy Who Was a King'', covering the returning of Simeon II to Bulgaria, his election as

prime minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

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. #

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...

(1818–1881), the father of Ferdinand of Bulgaria. # Victoria (1822–1857), married Louis, Duke of Nemours. # Leopold (1824–1884). Ferdinand I. Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha Litho.jpg,

(1785–1851) Maria Antónia Koháry.jpg, Princess Maria Antonia Koháry (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 18 ...

(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, that restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents that property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise ali ...

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 Queen Maria II of Portugal 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 (18 ...

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

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...

. Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.jpg, Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818–1881) Fphsaxecoburg.jpg, Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (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 Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Clémentine of Orléans, who on 15 December 1864 married in Rio de Janeiro Princess Leopoldina of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. They had four sons; for a time, their two eldest sons, Princes Peter August and August Leopold, were heirs presumptive 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 (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

. It ruled Portugal until the deposition of King Manuel II in 1910, after which it became extinct upon his death in 1932. File:Don Pedro V.jpg,

(1837-1861) File:SMF Luis.jpg, Luís (1838–1889) File:Carlos of Portugal.jpg, Carlos (1863-1908) File: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 last Bulgarian royal family descends from him. File:Ferdinand of Bulgaria 2.jpg,

(1861–1948) File:BASA-3K-7-342-28-Boris III of Bulgaria.jpeg,

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

Properties and palaces

''Fideicommiss''

Princess Maria Antonia Koháry inherited over hectares of land in

Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, 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 and ...

, 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, estates in Austria at

Velm Velm (, ) 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 Landen. H ...

, 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 '' fideicommisses'' 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 in Slovakia, today a museum. File:PrednáHora2.jpg,

Predná Hora mansion The Predná Hora mansion () is a neo-baroque manor in Muráň, Slovakia, once belonging to king Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. Today, the manor is a sanatorium. History King Ferdinand of Bulgaria wanted to have a winter residence in the Slovakian ...

in Slovakia, today a specialized hospital. File:Schloss Coburg in Ebenthal 02.jpg, Ebenthal, Lower Austria, 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, 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 1727 ...

, 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 th ...

, built in 1885 for Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, today the city hall of the municipality. File:Vrana Palace.jpg,

Vrana Palace Vrana Palace (; formerly ; ) is a royal palace, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is today the official residence of the former Royal House of Bulgaria, royal family of Bulgaria. While the Royal Palace (Sofia), Royal Palace i ...

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

. Built in the beginning of the 20th century, it is now owned by the Bulgarian royal Family and the park was donated to Sofia municipality. File:Euxinograd-palace-benkovski.png, Palace of Euxinograd on the northern

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea 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 bound ...

coast of

. Built between 1881-1885 as a summer residence of

Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Ferdinand I (Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria; 26 February 1861 – 10 September 1948) was Prince of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1908 and Tsar of Bulgaria from 1908 until his abdication in 1918. Under his rule, Bulgaria entered the First Worl ...

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

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

. Acquired in 1865 to be residence to Princess Leopoldina of Brazil, her husband Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 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 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 () (3 June 1817 – 16 February 1907), princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and duchess in Saxony, was the sixth child and youngest daughter of Louis-Philippe I, List of French Monarchs, King of the French, and his w ...

, are buried in a double

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

, 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 Braganza (; 19 March 1866 – 6 July 1934), known in Brazil as Dom Pedro Augusto, was a prince of the Empire of Brazil and of the Saxe-Coburg and Braganza branch of the Brazilian Imperial Family. The fav ...

(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