Royal Roundup: 2015

My intention is for this to be an annual feature of this blog. As a monarchist, with particular interest in the monarchies of Europe, I review the goings on of not only the existing monarchies of Europe, but those that have been dissolved in modern times and have strong candidates for these now vacant thrones. 100 years ago, almost all Europeans were ruled by monarchs, and had been for many centuries, so played a major role in European culture. Just as today's European Union advocates unity in its diversity, Europe's monarchs have been the personification of their respective, diverse countries- whilst their shared blood from centuries of intermarriage evidence the unity between European countries and their royals. I found my below updates on that wonderful, free source of knowledge: Wikipedia.

The countries' royals annually reviewed are as follows, with the key developments over the year outlined afterwards:

Existing hereditary monarchies: Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Spain, Monaco.

Former monarchies: Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France.

2015

- Seven years after experiencing a severe car crash, since which he had made intermittent progress but ultimately fell back into a coma, Prince Kardam, who would have been heir to the Bulgarian throne, dies due to a lung infection whilst in a coma. This means that his son, Prince Boris, has succeeded him as heir to the current claimant to the Bulgarian throne, the former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria.

- The Bulgarian Orthodox Church states that it will from now on always recognise and refer to the former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria as “King of Bulgaria”.

- King Harald V of Norway becomes the world’s first reigning monarch to visit Antarctica, when he goes to the Norwegian dependency, Queen Maud Land.

- The former King Michael of Romania has removed the right of his grandson, Nicholas, to call himself Prince of Romania; seen by some as an attempt to strengthen the anticipated continuation of the former King Michael's claim to the defunct Romana throne by his eldest daughter and heir, Crown Princess Margarita.

- An opinion poll in the Serbian newspaper, Blic, shows 49.8% of Serbs would support a restoration of the Monarchy under a prospective King Alexander II of Serbia, with 44.6% against.
 

- King Felipe VI of Spain announces he will cut his salary by 20%.

- Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain & Northern Ireland becomes the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and longest-reigning queen regnant in world history.