MM Park Bulgaria

Description

Signed photograph of Eudoxia and Nadezhda of Bulgaria.

Manufacturer / main description

Signed photograph of Eudoxia and Nadezhda of Bulgaria.

With both signatures.

"With our sincere thanks"

The photograph was enclosed with a letter of thanks dated 10 January 1913, written by the secretary of the charitable works of Their Royal Highnesses, Princesses Eudoxia and Nadezhda.

Transcription of the letter

Sophia, 10/I 1913.

Mademoiselle,

Their Royal Highnesses have received the objects which the Saumur Committee kindly sent for the little orphans of our poor soldiers killed in the war of liberation, and have graciously instructed me to express to you and to all the donors their sincere thanks and to send you the enclosed portrait as a token of gratitude.

Please accept, Mademoiselle, my best regards.

The secretary:
Dr M. Benlieff

Research and descriptions prepared with the help of an AI assistant (ChatGPT-5). Typological inaccuracies or errors may remain.

This document is particularly interesting because it belongs to a key moment in Balkan and Bulgarian history. The letter is dated 10 January 1913, during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). The expression used in the letter, "war of liberation", refers here to the First Balkan War (1912-1913). Bulgaria, together with Serbia, Greece and Montenegro, fought the Ottoman Empire. The objective was to liberate territories still under Ottoman rule, especially in Macedonia and Thrace. For Bulgarians, this was a national and patriotic war, hence the term "liberation". The two young girls visible in the photograph are Eudoxia of Bulgaria (1898-1985) and Nadezhda of Bulgaria (1899-1958). They were the daughters of King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. At the date of the letter, they were still adolescents, about 14 or 15 years old. The letter comes from the Secretariat of the charitable works of Their Royal Highnesses. This shows that the princesses took part in official charitable activities. They were presented as figures of national solidarity. Their role during the war included aid for soldiers' orphans, support for the wounded and their families, and the collection of donations, objects, clothing and money.
The letter mentions the Saumur Committee, which means that French donors sent aid to Bulgaria. At that time, Bulgaria aroused sympathy in Western Europe and humanitarian committees mobilized support. The diplomatic language used is French. The enclosed photograph, with signatures and crown, has symbolic value: it shows the princesses in a gentle and studious pose. It serves as an official gesture of thanks and embodies compassion, nobility and humanitarian commitment. It is both an act of gratitude and a tool of royal communication. In summary, this document testifies to international mobilization for war victims, the role of the Bulgarian monarchy in charity and benevolent propaganda, the image of the princesses as figures of national compassion, and the links between France and Bulgaria at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Photograph showing Princesses Eudoxia and Nadezhda of Bulgaria, daughters of Tsar Ferdinand I, in an intimate and elegant scene.

The two young princesses wear white dresses in a style characteristic of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. One, seated in an armchair, is reading or examining a document, while the other stands beside her and leans attentively over it. Their attitude evokes a moment of calm and closeness. The composition is carefully arranged, with a neutral background typical of photographic studios of the period. A printed crown appears in the image, emphasizing their princely rank. The photograph is dedicated and signed by both princesses, with the handwritten inscription:
"With our sincere thanks", reinforcing its personal and precious character.


Princess Eudoxia of Bulgaria (1898-1985)
Daughter of Tsar Ferdinand I and Princess Marie-Louise of Bourbon-Parma, Eudoxia spent much of her life within the Bulgarian royal family. Very close to her brother, Tsar Boris III, she played a discreet but important role at court. After the abolition of the monarchy in 1946, she went into exile and spent the rest of her life in Germany.

Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria (1899-1958)
Born shortly before the death of her mother, Princess Marie-Louise, Nadezhda grew up in an environment marked by that loss. She married Duke Albrecht of Württemberg, thereby entering the network of European dynastic alliances. She later led a more private life in Germany.