Prince Charles is related to the Transylvanian Prince of Wallachia, Vlad III. This ancestor is also known as “Vlad the Impaler”, or “Dracula”. This relationship could be part of what is motivating Prince Charles to have an interest in saving Transylvania’s forests.
If you go far enough back into the family tree of a European monarch, you are likely to find some interesting connections. Centuries ago, it wasn’t unusual for royalty to marry someone who was, essentially, a cousin. Given this fact, you could probably do an entertaining genealogical exercise and attempt to find out exactly how many royal people were related to one, particular, royal individual.
For example, you could select Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, and see how many of the royal people who are currently alive are descended from him. One of the connections you would find is between “Dracula” and Prince Charles.
Vlad Tepes III lived from 1431 through 1476. His father was named Vlad Tepes II. It was he who joined the a secret group of knights called “the Order of the Dragon”. The emblem of the order was a dragon, and Vlad Tepes II wore it.
When he joined the order, he became known as Vlad Dracul. This translates either to “Vlad the Dragon”, (or possibly “Vlad the Devil”). In Romanian, “drac” means “dragon”. There is a definitive article in Romanian, “ul” which is added onto the end of words to indicate someone is the son of someone else.
Put that all together, and you have Vlad III, son of Vlad the Dragon (or Devil). This makes Vlad Tepes III “Dracula”. He ended up being an incredibly blood thirsty ruler, known for his practice of impaling his enemies on stakes. This is where the name “Vlad the Impaler” came from.
Queen Mary is the great-grandmother of Prince Charles. She is a distant relative of Vlad the Impaler. This means that Prince Charles is also related to “Dracula”. I find this revelation interesting, especially this close to Halloween.
Right now, Prince Charles is campaigning to save the forests of Transylvania. The forests located in the Carpathian Mountains are under threat from logging and from development. Prince Charles has said that this area is part of the last untouched wilderness in Europe. He wants it to be protected, before Romania loses its woodland areas, much like Britain has.
Image by Victoria Johnson on Flickr