118 years since the wedding of Tsar Ferdinand and Queen Eleanore

February 28, 2026 marks the 118th anniversary of the wedding of Tsar Ferdinand I to Princess Eleonore von Reuss-Köstritz.

Eleonore was born on August 22, 1860, and came from an old German noble family connected to a number of European aristocratic families, including the Russian imperial Romanov dynasty.

The marriage took place on February 28, 1908, and was the second for the Bulgarian ruler, whose first wife, Maria Luisa, died in 1899. The union with Eleonore remained childless, but she gained widespread public support with her active charitable work.

As a Sister of Mercy during the Balkan War, she helped wounded soldiers, and her care and dedication remain a lasting memory for their families.

After her death in 1917, she was buried in the courtyard of the Boyana Church, to whose preservation she had contributed significantly. For many years, her grave has been a place of worship for grateful Bulgarians.

Today, the mortal remains of both Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and Queen Eleanor of Bulgaria are located in their beloved Bulgaria.

Text: Hristo Hristov