The Remains of Prince Kardam of Tarnovo Brought Back to Bulgarian Soil

On the eve of the 9th anniversary of the death of HRH Crown Prince Kardam, Prince of Tarnovo, his remains were brought back to Bulgarian soil in a private family ceremony. The firstborn son of Their Majesties King Simeon II and Queen Margarita will be laid to rest in the Royal Family Tomb in the crypt of the Orthodox Chapel of Saints King Boris and John of Rila the Wonderworker at the Royal Palace of Vrana.

On 6 April 2024, the day of the Dormition of Saint Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlightener of the Slavs, a Memorial Divine Liturgy was served in the Palace Chapel by His Grace Bishop Polycarp of Belogradchik, first vicar of the widowed Sofia Diocese, concelebrating with Archimandrite Evtimiy, spiritual overseer of the Sofia Diocese, Stavrophore Economos Nikolay Georgiev, and the hierodeacons Polycarp and Bartholomew. The service was attended by the grieving parents, Their Majesties the King and the Queen; the late Prince's sons, Princes Boris and Beltrán; Princess Miriam; his brothers, Prince Kyril of Preslav and Prince Konstantin-Assen; and his sister, Princess Kalina, and her family.

Prince Kardam was born on 2 December 1962 in Madrid and, in accordance with the Tarnovo Constitution, as heir to the Bulgarian throne, received the title of Prince of Tarnovo and Duke of Saxony. The Prince was baptised in the Orthodox rite, with the blessing of Bulgarian Patriarch Kiril, by the late Bishop Parteniy of Levkia. Together with the name Kardam, he also received the name Ioan, in honour of Saint John of Rila, patron saint of all Bulgarians.

Prince Kardam graduated from the French Lycée in the Spanish capital and went on to study at Clark University in the United States, graduating in philosophy and international economics. He later specialised in agricultural economics, agribusiness and land reclamation at The Pennsylvania State University. He worked for a time in Córdoba, Argentina, before returning to Spain and entering the telecommunications business.

On 11 July 1996 he married Miriam de Ungría y López. They have two sons, Boris and Beltrán, both baptised in the Orthodox faith.

In August 2008, Prince Kardam and Princess Miriam were involved in a serious car accident, from which the Prince never recovered.

On 7 April 2015, after seven years in a coma, Prince Kardam of Tarnovo passed away. His funeral service was conducted by the Metropolitan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Spain, and his remains were laid to rest in his wife's family tomb. On the 40th day after his death, with the blessing of the late Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit, a memorial service was held at the royal church of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid by Metropolitan Antoniy of Western and Central Europe.

From today, Kardam, Prince of Tarnovo, rests in sacred Bulgarian soil, in the historic home of the Royal Family.

May he rest in peace.