site.btaMortal Remains of Bulgarian King Ferdinand I Brought to Bulgaria from Germany
The mortal remains of Bulgarian King Ferdinand I (reigned 1887-1918) were transported from Coburg to Sofia by a military plane, which landed at Sofia Airport. They were transported from Germany to Bulgaria by a military aircraft in accordance with the decision adopted by the Council of Ministers.
The coffin was taken down and carried by national guards and solemnly placed in a hearse which will leave for the royal Vrana Palace on the outskirts of Sofia.
The Ministry of Defence organised and carried out the transport, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated these activities. The necessary funds are being provided on account of restructuring of expenditure under the central budget for 2024, the Council of Ministers reported earlier Wednesday, the ministry said.
The decision of the caretaker Cabinet was adopted in connection with a letter from the initiative committee for the return of the remains of King Ferdinand I, signed by Prof. Peter Stoyanovich and Assoc. Ivaylo Shalafov. Before taking action, the Government sought the opinion of both the National Assembly and the President. No objections were received from either institution, after which the Defence Ministry and the Foreign Ministry undertook the transportation of the remains, the Cabinet's press service recalled.
The memorial ceremony is scheduled at 3:30 pm at Vrana Palace and is open to the public.
After abdicating in favour of his son Boris III in October 1918, Ferdinand lived in exile in Germany and died in the Bavarian city of Coburg on September 10, 1948, aged 87. He was laid in a temporary sarcophagus in front of his parents’ tomb in the crypt of Coburg’s St Augustine Church. His last wish was to be buried in Bulgaria. On Monday, with a church service, the residents of Coburg bid farewell to the remains of King Ferdinand I before they were brought to Sofia.
/MR/
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