Bulgaria's Ex-Tsar Bids Farewell to Last Habsburg Heir

The funeral ceremony for Otto von Habsburg at Saint Stephans Cathedral on July 16, 2011 in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Getty Images

Simeon Saxe-Coburg, Bulgaria's former Tsar, attended Saturday the funeral of Otto von Habsburg, the last crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian empire, in Vienna.

Von Habsburg passed away at the age of 98 on July the 4th.

Royal guests at the memorial mass also included also King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg, Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, and former king Michael I of Romania.

Otto von Habsburg was born November 20, 1912 in Wartholz Castle, Lower Austria. He did not succeed his father Karl I as the Emperor of Austro-Hungary, as the empire fell apart at the end of World War I in 1919.

Initially, he lived in exile with his father and family, but then returned to his home country in 1966.

In 1978 he received German citizenship and became a member and activist of the conservative Christian-Social Union (CSU).

Otto von Habsburg was a passionate advocate of the notion of a unified Europe and served as MEP for two decades.

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