The little one's birth brought Ferdinand not only joy, but a whole heap of troubles as well!
A name alone was enough to make Ferdinand scratch his head raw. Names could not be chosen carelessly; they carried profound political significance.
Whether he chose a German-style name, a Russian-style name, or even a distinctly Bulgarian one would affect the direction of Bulgaria's political scene. Ferdinand had to weigh the pros and cons carefully.
If the name could still be dealt with, then religion was even more of a headache. Ferdinand was Catholic, while Bulgaria's main faith happened to be Eastern Orthodoxy. Which religion the little one should be converted to was the real problem!
Choose Catholicism, and the Eastern Orthodox populace would be unhappy; choose Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Catholics would be unhappy. Many would probably even question the sincerity of Ferdinand's own faith!
Even though this was no longer the Middle Ages, religion still held an extremely important place in Europe.
For Ferdinand, being suspected of insincere faith was a grave political crisis. It might not shake his throne, but the accusations from every side would still be enough to leave him choking on bitterness!
The "Ferdinand" of history had suffered over precisely this matter. Because of his son—Boris III's—religion, he had directly broken off relations with his uncle, Franz Joseph I, and fallen out with a whole pack of relatives and friends!
Left with no choice, Ferdinand had to resort to stalling. He simply left the decision to the little one, holding a ceremony similar to a baby's object-grabbing ritual and letting him choose his own faith. For this, his mother and wife even launched a battle over the baby's religion!
There was no helping it—this was still the nineteenth century, and religious fervor remained thick across the European