Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela (Bulgarian: Маргарита Гомес-Асебо и Сехуела Сакскобургготска, Margarita Gomes-Asebo i Sekhuela Sakskoburggotska; born 6 January 1935) is the wife of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, whom she married after he went into exile. As such, she is also sometimes styled Tsaritsa Margarita; in this context, she may be styled as Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duchess in Saxony, due to her husband's descent from those former ruling families. During her husband's tenure as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, she was sometimes referred as Margarita Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The current Bulgarian government does not recognize the titles in exile of the former Bulgarian royal family.

Early life

Birth

Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela was born on 6 January 1935 in Villa Alba, Collado Villalba, Madrid, during the Second Spanish Republic, as the second child and only daughter of the two children of Spanish nobles: Manuel Gómez-Acebo y Modet, 4th Marquess of Cortina, a state counsellor and lawyer of commercial and banking companies (eldest child of José Gómez Acebo y Cortina, 3rd Marquess of Cortina and wife Margarita Marta Modet y Almagro) and wife María de las Mercedes Cejuela y Fernández (daughter of Manuel Cejuela y González-Orduña and wife María de las Mercedes Fernández Molano).

Childhood

In 1936, at the outset of the Spanish Civil War Margarita's parents Manuel and María de las Mercedes as well as her maternal grandmother María de las Mercedes were arrested by the Communists and given a three-month prison detention. styled HRH Princess Maria of Bulgaria, and have twins, Prince Umberto and Princess Sofia.

  • Princess Kalina of Bulgaria, Countess of Murány (born 19 January 1972). Married Don Antonio José "Kitín" Muñoz y Valcárcel, and has a son, Don Simeón Hassán Muñoz y de Sajonia-Coburgo-Gotha.

Honours and awards

National

  • : Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
  • : Recipient of the Suffering for the Motherland Medal

Dynastic

  • House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry: Dame Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Alexander

Patronages

National

  • : Patron of the Bulgarian EuroChild Club
  • : Patron of the 'For Life' Cancer Charity

Foreign

  • : Patron of the Business Women's Society BWS
  • : Patron of the International Women's Club IWC