Deposed Monarchies

Are monarchies really returning to Europe? That seems to be what is happening in Bulgaria, and the trend may spread through the Balkans. The trigger for the monarchist revival is the former Bulgarian ruler Simeon II, who has just won the parliamentary elections and is expected to form a new government. He was crowned when he was six, forced by the communists to abdicate at nine and flee into exile. He has lived in exile in Madrid for 55 years, where he worked as a businessman. Because he has no connection to the communist era or the post-communist period he has attracted widespread support and may end up as prime minister.

Does that mean that Bulgaria will become a kingdom again? Not yet. He has campaigned on a promise to improve the country` s dire economic situation in 800 days. However, if he could pull that off there is a chance we could see the establishment of a constitutional monarchy at a later stage. For that he would need a two-thirds majority in parliament and substantially more public support, but it is a distinct possibility.


What does this mean for other exiled monarchs? What happens in Bulgaria could have a big impact elsewhere in the region. King Michael of Romania has already re-established himself in his homeland, where he has become an important ambassador for his country. Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, who was born in Claridge` s and grew up in London, has recently had his Yugoslav citizenship restored. He is planning to go back to live in Belgrade, where his properties, confiscated by the communists, have been returned. Also waiting in the wings are King Constantine of Greece, who lives in exile in London, and Leke Zogu, the pretender to the Albanian throne, who lives in Johannesburg. They all have the advantage that they were in exile during the communist period and absent for the past decade when the region was engulfed in conflict.


Is there a modern precedent for the restoration of a monarchy? The best example is probably Spain, where the monarchy returned after Franco` s death in 1975. King Juan Carlos I subsequently played a key role in putting down a military coup in 1981 and can claim some credit for the country` s political stability and economic success. His success could persuade some Balkan nations to follow suit. But it is unlikely to have much impact in western Europe. The heir to the French throne Henri, Comte de Clermont, is an impoverished aristocrat, while Italy` s Prince Victor Emmanuel is still fighting to be allowed back into his homeland, after his exile in 1946.

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