King of Bulgaria, eldest son of King Ferdinand and of Marie Louise de Bourbon, eldest daughter of Duke Robert of Parma; born at Sofia on the 30th of January 1894. Although his parents were Roman Catholics, the prince was, on February 14, 1896, received into the Orthodox church, the Tsar Nicholas II. being his godfather. He was educated entirely in Bulgaria, first by tutors and later at the cadet and officers’ schools, serving subsequently as A.D.C. to the King and to various generals. On the abdication of King Ferdinand, immediately after the Armistice which put an end to Bulgaria’s disastrous share in the World War, Boris succeeded his father, October 4, 1918.
