The Countess and her descendants gained the title of Princess of Battenberg (derived from an old residence of the Grand Dukes of Hesse) and the style Durchlaucht ("Serene Highness") in 1858.

He found himself caught between the Russians, who wanted him to be a do-nothing king (a roi fainéant), and the Bulgarian politicians, who actively pursued their own quarrels with a violence that threatened the stability of Bulgaria.

[5] After attempting to govern under these conditions for nearly two years, the prince, with the consent of the Russian Tsar, assumed absolute power, having suspended the Constitution (9 May 1881).

The experiment, however, proved unsuccessful; the monarchical coup infuriated Bulgarian Liberal and Radical politicians, and real power passed to two Russian generals, Sobolev and Kaulbars, specially dispatched from Saint Petersburg.

After vainly endeavouring to obtain the recall of the generals, the prince restored the constitution with the concurrence of all Bulgarian political parties (19 September 1883).

[4] The revolution of Plovdiv (18 September 1885), which brought about the union of Eastern Rumelia with Bulgaria, took place with Alexander's consent, and he at once assumed the government of the province.

Although the intervention of Austria protected Serbia from the consequences of defeat, Prince Alexander's success sealed the union with Eastern Rumelia.

[4] This arrangement, however, cost Alexander much of his popularity in Bulgaria, while discontent prevailed among a number of his officers, who considered themselves slighted in the distribution of rewards at the close of the campaign.

However, he soon returned to Bulgaria as a result of the success of the counter-revolution led by Stefan Stambolov, which overthrew the provisional government set up by the Russian party at Sofia.

The attitude of Bismarck, who, in conjunction with the Russian and Austrian governments, forbade him to punish the leaders of the military conspiracy, also undermined Alexander's position.

[6] The last years of his life he spent principally at Graz, where he held a local command in the Austrian army, and where he died of a ruptured appendix on 17 November 1893.

His principal fault remained a want of tenacity and resolution; his tendency to unguarded language undoubtedly increased the number of his enemies.