Editing Alexander of Battenberg (section)

==Prince of Bulgaria==
In his boyhood and early youth, Alexander frequently visited [[Saint Petersburg]], and he accompanied his uncle, [[Tsar Alexander II]], who was much attached to him, during the [[Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78|Bulgarian campaign]] of 1877. 

When, under the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1878|Treaty of Berlin]] (1878), Bulgaria became an autonomous [[principality]] under the suzerainty of the [[Ottoman Empire]], the Tsar recommended his nephew to the Bulgarians as a candidate for the newly created throne, and the [[National Assembly of Bulgaria|Grand National Assembly]] unanimously elected Prince Alexander as Prince of Bulgaria (29 April 1879). At that time he held a commission as a lieutenant in the [[Prussia]]n life-guards at [[Potsdam]]. Before proceeding to Bulgaria, Prince Alexander paid visits to the Tsar at [[Livadia Palace|Livadia]], to the courts of the Great Powers. After paying a visit to the [[Ottoman Sultan]]'s court, a Russian warship conveyed him to [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]] where he took an [[oath]] to the [[Tarnovo Constitution]] at [[Veliko Tarnovo]] (8 July 1879) and then proceeded to [[Sofia]]. People everywhere en route greeted him with immense enthusiasm.{{sfn|Bourchier|1911}}