Persian Realm

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran at the christening of first daughter Louise Sophie Mary to Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium. Seen here with Bulgaria's Crown Prince Kardam of Tirnovo and wife Princess Miríam. The invitation had created a stir in Belgium-Iran diplomatic Relations, obliging Belgium's foreign Minister to deny any official invitation was suggested to calm Iran's government's outrage at the time. However the invitation still took place given the close childhood ties of friendship between the Belgian Prince and Iran's Crown Prince Reza.

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Prince Laurent is the youngest son of King Albert II of the Belgians. His wife Princess Claire gave birth to a baby girl named Louise Sophie Mary on February 6, 2004. The Belgian press speculated at the time that Prince Laurent intends to invite Reza Pahlavi,a childhood friend, who lives in the US, to serve as godfather for their daughter.

Sadly there is a tragic twist of fate to the photo here: On 15 August 2008 the Bulgarian Prince and his wife were victims of a tragic car crash in El Molar, near Madrid that left them terribly injured. Prince Kardam remains in Coma eversince where as his wife suffered a broken elbow, broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

RESTORATION: King Simeon II of Bulgaria, The Republican Prince

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More About Kardam, Prince of Turnovo, Crown Prince of Bulgaria:

Kardam, Prince of Turnovo, Crown Prince of Bulgaria (born 2 December 1962), is the eldest son of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria and his wife Doña Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela, however born after his loss of the throne. As such, he is by courtesy also sometimes styled as if being a crown prince. He is known also as Kardam of Bulgaria and Kardam of Turnovo, the latter being the title of the heir apparent of the Bulgarian throne.

He was born in Madrid, was baptized to Orthodox faith, and has a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics from Penn State University.

In Madrid, on 11 July 1996, Kardam married doña Miriam de Ungría y López, born in Madrid on 2 September 1963, a gemologist and a historian, daughter of don Bernardo de Ungría y Goiburu, Honorary President of the Colegio Heráldico de España y de las Indias, and author of Los Titulos Nobiliarios Utilizados Como Distantivos Comerciales,[1][2] and of his wife, doña María del Carmen López y Oleaga, both of Basque descent. They have two sons, who are second and third, respectively, in the line of succession to the now-defunct Bulgarian throne:

HRH Prince Boris Turnovski of Bulgaria (b. 12 October 1997 in Madrid)
HRH Prince Beltrán Turnovski of Bulgaria (b. 23 March 1999 in Madrid)

If he were to become Tsar, he would be styled Kardam II of Bulgaria.

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