Every royal family has its history, perhaps a little odd and often very confusing. Sometimes, there are connections between royal families across countries and continents that have been lost in history – and it seems that the King of England has a strange connection to one of the most notorious rulers in European royal history.
King Charles is the great-grandson, 16 times removed, of Vlad the Impaler, the prince who ruled over a region called Wallachia, which is part of modern-day Romania, on and off between 1448 and 1476.
© Alamy Stock PhotoBest remembered for his extremely violent tendencies, including ordering thousands of prisoners to be executed by placing them on stakes, his time as a ruler saw many wars, hence his epithet of 'the Impaler'.
Vlad the Impaler is also widely believed to have been the inspiration for the gothic literary classic Dracula, written by Bram Stoker. Though there are few literal similarities between the character and the real ruler, Stoker is often said to have used Vlad the Impaler's paternal surname, Dracula, and his reputation to inform his writing of the iconic vampire.
How is King Charles related to Vlad the Impaler?
During an appearance on the Daily Mail's Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, royal authors Robert Hardman and Kate Williams explored how the son of Queen Elizabeth II is related to the Romanian ruler.
© Getty ImagesRobert explained that the connection comes via his great-great-grandmother, Queen Mary, who was the wife of George V. "Queen Mary's original title was Mary of Teck," he began. "The Tecks were a minor princely house from Germany. Mary was meant to come over to Britain to marry the son and heir of Edward VII, the Duke of Clarence.
"The Duke died and she ended up marrying George V," he continued. "They had George VI, who then had Elizabeth II. That's the connection to Charles."
King Charles' secret 'stake' in Transylvania
In 1998, then the Prince of Wales, King Charles visited Transylvania to strengthen ties with Romania, and quickly fell in love with the region, soon becoming the patron of a charity that works to preserve it.
Twenty-three years later, he appeared in a BBC documentary about the country, and, when asked about his love for the region, he jokes: "It's because I have a stake in the country!," hinting towards his lineage. According to Robert, the King also purchased a farmhouse in the area to help promote local tourism.
