The legend of Vampires dates back centuries ago, even before Bram Stoker came up with the fictional character. Dracula was, in fact, based on an actual figure in history. Vlad the Impaler was known to be the real-life Dracula due to the way he dispensed of his enemies and his grotesque taste for blood. But did you know that Prince Charles is related to him?
The Royal Family is linked to several countries all over Europe. This also includes ties to Romania, which links Prince Charles with Vlad the Impaler. Prince Charles actually owns several properties in Transylvania and is the heir of Vlad the Impaler’s bloodline.
Who is Vlad the Impaler?
Vlad the Impaler or Vlad III was born on 1431 in Sighisoara, Transylvania. He was the second of four brothers born into the noble Dracul family. The name Dracula literally translates to son of Dracul. His father was inducted into the Order of the Dragon, which the Hoy Romany Emperor Sigismund created to defend Christian Europe during the war with the Ottoman Empire.
By the time his father assumed leadership of the Walachian principality, Vlad had moved to Targoviste. The Walachian nobles assassinated his father and elder brother in 1447, which led Vlad to embark on a lifelong series of campaigns to take back his father’s seat. After an eight-year struggle, Vlad was able to claim the voivodate.
Bram Stoker’s character Dracula was based off on Vlad the Impaler. Notes on his novel do include statements about Dracula. Scholars speculated that Stoker had conversations with a historian that provided him with the gory details of Vlad’s rather violent nature, though there is no concrete evidence on this theory. (Source: Britannica)
How is Prince Charles Related to Vlad the Impaler?
We know for a fact that the Royal Family has links to several countries across Europe. This includes relations to Romania. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is the descendant of the real-life Dracula, Vlad the Impaler. Prince Charles happens to own several properties across Transylvania. He inherited these properties as the heir to Vlad the Impaler’s bloodline.
Prince Charles did not know about his relation to Vlad the Impaler until 1998. He is said to be the great-grandson 16 times removed through the George V and Queen Mary.
It’s also no secret that Prince Charles is very fond of Romania, especially of the Transylvania region. It was after his first visit to Transylvania in 1998 that he found out about his connection to Vlad the Impaler, a connection that he is apparently very proud of. Through the Prince of Wales Foundation, Prince Charles has done plenty of charity work in Transylvania, especially in the fields of sustainable development, conservation, and farming systems. Because of his strong involvement in the region, the mayor of the city of Alba Iulia has proposed to grant Prince Charles the title of Prince of Transylvania as recognition for being a prominent ambassador of the Transylvania region all over the world.
David Hughes, The British Chronicles
(Source: Cornwall Live)