Two years ago, Princess Mafalda of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the first granddaughter of King Simeon II of Bulgaria to marry. The young woman, known in the world of Music as Ona Mafalda, has already separated from businessman Marc Abousleiman, son of a former Lebanese minister. The intimate wedding was celebrated in Boston and Majorca, in the presence of King Simeon II, the Infantes Elena and Cristina of Spain and even Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Mafalda and Marc had been lovers since adolescence.
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The beautiful love story of Princess Mafalda and Marc Abousleiman is over
The wedding of Princess Mafalda of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of Bulgaria, Duchess of Saxony, interested the Bulgarian press and the Spanish press in May 2022, although the ceremony was completely private and no images were leaked of this family moment. Princess Mafalda is the first granddaughter of King Simeon II and Queen Margarita. Mafalda was also the first of her generation to get married, choosing a Valentino dress to experience this great moment, in homage to her mother Rosario, who was a muse of this fashion house in her youth. According to the media LOC, the couple have already separated.
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In May 2022, Mafalda married Marc Abousleiman civilly in Boston, then a few days later, during religious ceremonies at the estate Son Pons Carraixin the countryside of Majorca, belonging to the bride’s maternal family. The religious marriage took the form of blessings, due to the different religions of the bride and groom. Marc Abousleiman, son of Camille Abousleiman, former Minister of Labor of Lebanon, is Maronite.
The supplement LOC serious newspaper The World announces separation “on good terms” by Mafalda of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Marc Abousleiman. They had met many years before, when they were both studying at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, located in the upscale Kensington district of London. Then they both lived in Boston, where they continued their studies. Marc studied economics and computer science at Harvard University, while Mafalda studied music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
The couple is cosmopolitan and conducts business in several countries but according to LOC, Mafalda chose to settle in Madrid where she pursues her singing career under the stage name Ona Mafalda, while Marc would never have moved into the Spanish capital. Marc became Marc is vice-president of Further Global, a financial company of which Olivier Sarkozy, the brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and ex-husband of actress Mary-Kate Olsen, is a partner. According to official documents, the divorce request was sent in May 2024 to the American authorities and a first uncontested judgment was rendered in September.
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Granddaughter of King Simeon II separates two years after her marriage to the son of a former Lebanese minister
Princess Mafalda is the daughter of Prince Kiril, Prince of Preslav. Prince Kiril is the second son of King Simeon II. Prince Kiril is separated (but not divorced) from Rosario Nadal, the mother of his three children: Princess Mafalda, Princess Olimpia and Prince Tassilo. King Simeon II, who lived in exile from 1946, settled in Spain, where he married Margarita Gómez-Acebo, daughter of the Marquis of Cortina. The last king of the Bulgarians and his wife had five children, all of whom married a Spanish citizen.
Of the five children of King Simeon II, only Prince Kiril was divorced. The eldest, Crown Prince Kardam died in 2015 following a car accident. His widow, Princess Miriam, remained close to her in-laws and was present at Princess Mafalda’s wedding. Miriam remarried in September 2022, a few months after Mafalda’s marriage, to Prince Ghazi of Jordan, cousin of King Abdullah II. At Mafalda’s wedding, Princess Miriam was accompanied by her sons, Prince Boris, Prince of Tarnovo, current dynastic heir of her grandfather, and Prince Beltrán.
The royal family of Spain was represented at this wedding by Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina. The royal family of Spain is very close to the royal family of Bulgaria, King Juan Carlos having welcomed King Simeon II to his country during his period of exile. Prince Kiril is one of King Felipe VI’s best friends, the two having grown up together. Prince Kubrat, third son of King Simeon II, attended the wedding with his wife, Princess Carla, and their three sons, Princes Mirko, Lukás and Tirso. Another guest at this wedding, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Like Infanta Cristina, Mette-Marit is a friend of Rosario Nadal, the bride’s mother.
The royal family of Bulgaria comes from the family of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and all members bear the title Duke and Duchess of Saxony. In 1887, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry was elected sovereign prince of Bulgaria, a principality elevated to the rank of kingdom in 1908. His descendants succeeded one another on the throne until 1946, when the abolition of the monarchy by the communists. The Bulgarian royal family in exile took over the original family surname which was also hispanized into Sajona-Coburgo y Gotha
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
