Welcome to the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service.

Today I'm taking you back to 2001,

where more than half a century after being driven into exile by communists,

Bulgaria's former King Simeon II made a dramatic comeback

by winning the country's parliamentary election.

In 2018, Fahana Heider spoke to him about his journey from Child King to Prime Minister.

The monarchy strikes back.

After more than 50 years in exile,

former King Simeon's vote was much more than symbolic.

Bulgaria has chosen his national movement to form the next government.

Bulgaria's former King Simeon II has claimed victory in the country's parliamentary election.

Exit bulls give his party more than 40% of the votes.

Simeon Sachskober-Gotha, once a Child King,

became Prime Minister of Bulgaria after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

He's been telling me about his remarkable journey.

Having worn those hats,

certainly monarchy is something much more flexible.

I disappointed a lot of people who thought that this fact of becoming Mr. Sachskober

and Prime Minister was outrageous.

Simeon II was just a boy when he was crowned King of Bulgaria in 1943 at the age of six,

after the sudden death of his father.

His uncle ruled on his behalf.

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