There’s one less eligible royal in Europe. Prince Mirko of Panagyurishte, grandson of Bulgaria’s last Tsar, Simeon II, is engaged to Dr. Marta Embid, with the couple set to marry next year.According to HOLA! Spain, the wedding is expected to take place in June 2027 in Madrid, the city where the couple first met during their medical training, although an official date has yet to be announced.
A royal romance that began in medical school
Prince Mirko, also known as Dr. Mirko Saxe-Coburg, has been in a relationship with Marta since 2023. The two reportedly met while completing their residency at Madrid’s San Carlos Clinical Hospital, where both trained as doctors.Marta specialises in Anesthesia and Reanimation, while Mirko is a General and Digestive Surgery specialist working at Hospital Nuestra Senora del Rosario and Hospital Universitario Vithas Madrid Arturo Soria. The prince also holds a medical degree from the University of Navarra along with a surgical diploma.
Following in his father’s footsteps
Mirko is the eldest son of Prince Kubrat of Bulgaria and Dona Carla María de la Soledad Royo-Villanova y Urrestarazu. Like his father, he chose medicine over a full-time public royal role.Prince Kubrat, the third son of Bulgaria’s last monarch, King Simeon II, is a renowned general and digestive system surgeon. Speaking about his father in the past, Mirko said, “He taught me to work tirelessly and never stop taking care of my family and friends.”Mirko is also the grandson of Simeon II, who ruled Bulgaria from 1943 until 1946, when the country’s monarchy was abolished.
Making their public debut
According to the publication, Mirko and Marta made one of their first high-profile public appearances together at the 2024 wedding of Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida and Teresa Urquijo.The ceremony was attended by several members of the Spanish royal family, including former King Juan Carlos I, Queen Sofía, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina.
Another royal engagement this summer
Prince Mirko is the latest European royal to announce an engagement this summer. Earlier in July, Samuel Chatto, grandson of Princess Margaret and a cousin of King Charles III, revealed he had proposed to his longtime girlfriend Eleanor Ekserdjian with a handcrafted porcelain ring he made himself. The couple are expected to marry next spring.With a shared passion for medicine and a romance that blossomed in a hospital, Prince Mirko and Dr. Marta Embid are now preparing to begin a new chapter together with a royal wedding in Madrid next year.
