Who is Princess Kalina of Bulgaria? How has her appearance changed in recent years?

Princess Kalina of Bulgaria is certainly not a household name in the UK, but international royal aficionados may very well know who she is. In recent weeks, her appearance has attracted quite a lot of attention, and not necessarily for the right reasons.

Content creator Eugenia Garavani recently shared a photograph of the princess on Instagram with the caption: “The shocking physical change of Princess Kalina of Bulgaria. King Simeon’s daughter has appeared in public during the repatriation of the body of Ferdinand 1 of Bulgaria. ‘I am dedicated to training with weight loads and body health, I am an athlete’, she assured the press.”

So who is Princess Kalinia of Bulgaria? She is the only daughter of the exiled Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, and has been described by The Telegraph “as an unconventional royal, expressing her personality through unusual hair, make-up and fashion. She once shaved her head because she lost a bet, and has raised eyebrows at society balls by dyeing her locks orange”

Princess Kalina of Bulgaria was born in January 1972, so is 52 years old. She married Kitín Muñoz in 2002 and they share one son Simeon, who is reportedly the first member of the royal family to be born in Bulgaria in 70 years. 

The photograph of Princess Kalina of Bulgaria that has courted the most controversy shows the aristocrat wearing a black and white dress at the funeral ceremony of King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria in Vrana Palace in Sofia on May 29 this year. The shoulder-baring outfit displays her muscular arms and marks a stark contrast to previous photographs of the Princess.

In 2002, Princess Kalina of Bulgaria married Kitín Muñoz and their wedding was held at Tsarska Bistritza Palace in southwest Bulgaria. Princess Kalina wore a dress made by local tailors and guests at the wedding feasted on traditional Bulgarian food such as moussaka for the main course and crepes for the dessert.

After the couple’s son Simeon Hassan was born, Princess Kalina and her husband returned to Bulgaria for his baptism as they were based in Spain at the time. Her parents were present, Princess Irene of Greece was chosen to be Simeon’s godmother, while King Mohammed of Morocco was chosen as his godfather.