At the Magistral Palace of Order of Malta in Rome, Queen Margarita of Bulgaria and Prince Kubrat were officially received into the Sovereign Order on 27 October. They were accompanied by their consorts, King Simeon II and Princess Carla.

King Simeon II of Bulgaria expressed his admiration for the impressive number of projects in healthcare, support and education carried out by the Order of Malta all over the world – both long-term activities and emergency relief following tragic natural disasters like the tsunami in Asia, the earthquake in Haiti and the floods in Pakistan, where volunteers and equipment were dedicated to coping with the most difficult challenges to health, pandemics and hunger. He also noted with great appreciation the Order’s vast activities in many regions of Bulgaria since the opening of the Order’s embassy there in 2005.