Prince Charles tours Bucharest, says hi to Vlad the Impaler
Posted Mar 31, 2017 9:59 am.
Last Updated Mar 31, 2017 11:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BUCHAREST, Romania – Britain’s Prince Charles reconnected with one of his ancestors on Friday, walking past a statue of Vlad the Impaler during a tour of Bucharest on his final day in Romania.
The prince’s three-nation trip is seen as an effort to reassure European Union nations that Britain remains a close ally despite its impending departure from the bloc.
During his tour of the old city, Charles also visited a project that offers restoration support to historical buildings in disrepair.
Charles owns two properties in Romania’s northwest Transylvania region which he visits yearly. He is on tour to “highlight the U.K.’s relationship with European partners” in areas such as military ties and combatting human trafficking, according to his website.
Charles is related to the 15th-century prince through his great-grandmother Queen Mary, the wife of George V, who was related to a German noble family. Charles has publicly spoken about being a distant relative of Vlad, who reportedly impaled Turks, thieves and traitors on stakes.
The heir to the British throne also visited a school and a children’s club in Vizuresti, a small village north of Bucharest with a large Roma population, where he was greeted Friday with bread and salt and chatted with local residents and children.
Kindergarten teacher Magda Diaconu, a mother of eight, told Charles about her daughter and son-in-law who are working in the UK making kitchen furniture. She said they were appreciated by their boss.
“I am fearful that they may be sent home because of Brexit,” she said.
Charles will be joined by his wife Camilla when he flies to Italy later Friday. The tour also takes him to Austria.
