A princess is the female member of a royal family, often the daughter of a king and queen, or the wife of a prince.
In various cultures, princesses hold different roles and levels of importance, and 'thanks' to cultural depictions, fairy tales, and media representations, the public expects princesses to have some common traits, that include elegance and grace, regal attire, wearing jewelry and such, perfect grooming and perfect posture, and beauty.
And even in the modern contemporary world, where diversity and inclusivity are valued more than ever, the traditional notions of femininity are still prevalent.
While these are common expectations, real-life princesses come in all shapes, sizes, and appearances.
And here, Princess Kalina of Bulgaria is one good example of a princess that doesn't look like what the public expects her to look like.
And she have reasons for that.
The Bulgarian royal family is a line of the Koháry branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which ruled Bulgaria from 1887 to 1946. The last tsar, Simeon II, became Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 2001 and remained in office until 2005.
And Princess Kalina is Simeon II's direct descendant.
In fact, she is the only daughter of the exiled tsar.
Princess Kalina of Bulgaria married Antonio José (Kitin) Muñoz Valcárcel in 2002 and they share one son Simeon-Hassan Muñoz, who is reportedly the first member of the royal family to be born in Bulgaria in 70 years.
While her name isn't as famous as many other royals from other countries, Princess Kalina has a high reputation.
But the princess isn't like most other princesses, to an extent that the media once described her as "an unconventional royal, expressing her personality through unusual hair, make-up and fashion. She once shaved her head because she lost a bet, and has raised eyebrows at society balls by dyeing her locks orange."
And this time, she is again making headlines for her shocking physical change.
In the photos, Princess Kalina of Bulgaria appeared in public during the funeral ceremony of Bulgaria's first ruler, Tsar Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria) in Vrana Palace in Sofia.
But the photos of the princess that have since gained controversy, show the aristocrat wearing a black and white dress, strappy open-toe sandals, and baring her shoulders and her bulging muscular arms.
The appearance marks a stark contrast to previous photographs of the princess.
Born in 1972, Princess Kalina had an early interest for art.
After graduating from the Lycée Français and continuing her studies at the English College in Madrid, she relocated to London for university, where she obtained a degree in History of Art.
In 2002, Princess Kalina of Bulgaria married Kitín Muñoz, a Spanish sea navigator and explorer and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
At the time, the princess wore a dress made by local tailors and guests at the wedding feasted on traditional Bulgarian food such as moussaka for the main course and crepes for the dessert.
Their son Simeon-Hassan was born in March 2007.
Since the day of his birth, Princess Kalina and her husband returned to Bulgaria for his baptism as they were based in Spain at the time.
Simeon-Hassan has then been brought up entirely in the Bulgarian spirit and traditions, speaking Bulgarian, Spanish, English, French and Arabic languages.
While the Bulgarian royal family isn't as popular as the Windsors of the UK, for example, Bulgaria has its own aristocracy, and Princess Kalina is one of the most well-known member of their royal family.
Despite the fact that she tends to stay away from the public, Princess Kalina has long been noted for her eye-catching clothes and unique makeup.
But no one expect her to undergone such huge transformation.
But it was in the early 2000s, that the princess started making headlines after having major facial surgery resulting in a dramatically different appearance.
Kitin confirmed his wife's appearance was the result of an unfortunate accident that happened in her childhood.
"All the absurd theories of Kalina's different operations and aesthetic treatments are nothing more than misinformation," her husband said in 2018, revealing that his wife had suffered an accident aged eight resulting in her losing two front teeth.
The surgery was a result of a dentist in London who replaced her broken teeth with crowns, but after complications, the princess contracted an infection that spread into her nasal cartilage.
The couple were at sea on an expedition when the infection worsened.
"The impossibility of going to a hospital and the conditions at sea caused the infection to progress and worsen, affecting part of her eye," explained Kitin.
When the princess rushed to the hospital, she was given emergency surgery to save her from the rapidly spreading infection.
"It caused cosmetic damage, which was not important at that time since the vital thing was to save the eye and nose from the infection," her husband explained.
The princess has been seen wearing a number of unconventional outfits that may not suit a princess, at least in a traditional, convensional sense.
And this incident added another layer to her already complex public image.
Kitin loves the outdoors, and that his passion for adventures is shared with the princess.
While Princess Kalina has been a keen exerciser for many years, and that she has devoted herself to training, but the public was not prepared to see such a dramatic arm transformation.
Never where her arm muscles were so pronounced.
And again, just like many unique things the world has under its sleeves, photos of Princess Kalina make rounds on the internet, with way too many people sharing their thoughts.
Netizens have a lot of questions, and a lot to say, and not everything is good.
Her husband praised his wife's "excellent physical shape" thanks to "a healthy lifestyle, daily training and good nutrition."
"Something that is not only reflected in her good muscle tone but also in her beautiful face," Kitin said.
"I am dedicated to training with weight loads and body health, I am an athlete," she revealed in an interview.
Despite the controversies and speculations, Princess Kalina remains a figure of fascination and admiration to many people.
Her journey from an art enthusiast to an athlete dedicated to weight training, coupled with her resilience in the face of public scrutiny, paints a portrait of a multifaceted and determined individual.