FRUGAL MONARCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24675, 30 August 1943, Page 3

FRUGAL MONARCH

LATE KINO BORIS MIXED WITH PEASANTRY Until his country came under the domination of Germany in 1941, King Boris 111., of Bulgaria, was generally regarded as a shrewd, courageous and democratic ruler. He was the eldest son of King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, a member of the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Ferdinand's first wife, Princess Marie Louise, of Bourbon-Parma. Born at Sofia on January 30, 1894. he was baptised a member of the Orthodox Church. His education was very thorough and he learned to speak seven languages, coming later to he considered the best Royal linguist in Europe. He fought during the last war. When King Ferdinand abdicated in October, 1918, after the defeat of Bulgaria by the Allies, Boris came to the throne under very trying conditions, but his straightforwardness and democratic attitude won the hearts of his people. Link With Italy For many years he remained unmarried, living very frugally on an income of £6OOO a year, with his sister, Princess Eudoxia, keeping house for him. His betrothal was announced on several occasions, a Chicago heiress, Princess Marie of Rumania, Princess Yolanda of Italy and Princess Lleana of Rumania being mentioned, but these reports were denied. His choice, after he had become known as the most lonely monarch in Europe, was Princess Giovanna of Italy, whom he married on October 25, 1930. The marriage, which was said to be a love match, also had its political implications. It was part of Mussolini's scheme to encircle Yugoslavia. Queen loanna, as she became, is the third daughter of King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Elena of Italy. Assassination Attempts

Their first child, Maria Louisa, was born on January 13, 1933, and the heir, Prince Simeon, named after the 10th century ruler under whom Bulgaria gained its greatest power in the Balkans, w;y; born in June, L'J-57. In spite of protests by the Pope, both children were christened in the Orthodox Church Two attempts to assassinate King Boris were made in 1925. On a country road, his car was fired on and two members of his staff were killed and his chauffeur was wounded. The King took the wheel and drove through the ambuscade. On the same day, a general, Georgieff, was assassinated and, two days later, at the funeral service in a cathedral, 112 people were killed and over 300 injured by a bomb. The King was on his way to the cathedral when the explosion occurred. Tour Among People An extensive incognito tour of his country was made by King Boris in 1931. He mixed with the peasantry, eating at their tables and sleeping in their houses. His aim was to ascertain the economic conditions and true feelings of his subjects. In view of the depression he gave up a third of his small income. King Boris played a leading part in the overthrow of a militarist Government in 193/5. Colonel Veltchelf aimed at making himself dictator and forcing the King to abdicate. The coup d'etat failed and Veltcheff was arrested. King Boris attended the funeral of King George V. in 15)36, and later went to the Olympic Games in Berlin. He visited Rome in the same year. In 15)38 he visited Italy, England, Scotland, France, Switzerland and Germany. CRISIS FOR AXIS WEIGHT OF ALLIED BLOWS BON DON. AUK. 28 Reports received in London indicate that the Avis is facing perhaps its greatest crisis of the war. Allied bombing o( Germany and Italy, the threat of an Allied invasion and the increasing unrest in occupied countries are adding to the worries of the Axis leaders. Uiitimler's appointment is regarded as evidence of a near breakdown ol Herman morale on the home front under the Allied air blows and the reverses suffered by the Germans on the Russian front.

Increasing unrest m the Balkans has followed the German failure to hold Kharkov. With the massing of large Allied armies in the Mediterranean the Balkan coiiulries believe Ilia! iliov may soon ho caught between two fires —the Russians to the north and the British and American-: to the south. Hitler is reported to have summoned the Rumanian dictator, Antoncscu, and the Hungarian Minister of Defence, General de Bartha, to his headquarters for discussions on tho defence of the Balkans. The Daily l\xpress correspondent in Istanbul says the Rumanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian Ministers in Turkey believe there is a strong possibility of an Allied invasion of southern and central Italy next month. They also believe that if this develops satisfactorily for the Allies tin invasion of Crete, the Dodecanese Islands and Greece will follow almost immediately. The Ministers further believe that the talk of an Allied invasion of franco or elsewhere in Western I'm rope this year is bluff. A strong contributing factor in this belief is the degree of publicity given to the new "invasion zones" on the south coast of England.