Simeon II Became Prime Minister

When Bulgarian king Boris III died at age 49 during World War II in 1943, his six-year-old son Simeon II inherited the throne, although a regency council exercised power for him. In 1946, official results showed 95.6 percent supporting the abolition of Bulgaria's 68-year monarchy and the creation of a republic, forcing the royal family into exile the following day. Simeon returned to Bulgaria in 1996 and formed the National Movement Simeon II party, which won 120 of Parliament's 240 seats in June 2001. At age 64, he became prime minister on July 24, 2001, and led Bulgaria again until 2005.

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