An heir in Bulgaria

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June 16, 1937


Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria gave birth to the long awaited heir, a son at 5:45 a.m, reports the New York Times.

A 101 gun salute in Sofia announced the birth to the residents of the capital.

Telephone calls were made to provincial garrisons and soon "guns were booming throughout the land."

Queen Giovanna and her infant son are doing well.  The queen gave birth at the Clementine Hospital, which was founded by King Boris's grandmother,  Princess Clementine of Orléans, the mother of King Ferdinand of Bulgaria.

Large crowds gathered outside the palace and Sofia's mayor "led a procession of more than 100,000 persons through the palace grounds.:" The happy and proud father King Boris, appeared on the balcony, and, with a smile, thanked the crowd for the great ovation.

"I pray that my son and heir may be spared to rule over this country as a good thing."

The new Crown Prince will be named Simeon, after Bulgaria';s "great tenth century ruler, who reigned during a time when Bulgaria's power was at a zenith.

The birth of the Crown Prince is "particularly important" as succession to the throne is limited to males.   The king and queen's four and half year old daughter, Princess Marie Louise, cannot succeed to the throne.  The king has one younger brother, Prince Kiril, who is unmarried.