After the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III has inherited properties such as Balmoral Castle in the Scottish highlands, the summer residence of the late monarch and the place where she died and Sandringham, an estate in eastern England, where the Queen traditionally spent Christmas.
Transylvania
But the British monarch also has properties in remote Transylvania that the public are not so familiar with, Le Figaro reported.
King Charles III is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian warlord who inspired the fictional Dracula, which gives him a special link with Romania, the French newspaper reported.
It claims his distant bloodlines with the cruel count led to him acquiring two houses in Transylvania, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel.
However, due to his new role as Sovereign, the King will have to cede some of his properties to his heir, Prince William, the newspaper says.
Highgrove
These include his beloved residence in Highgrove, England, a testament to his ecological credentials.
Its 360 hectares is untouched by fertilizers or pesticides and waste water is filtered through a system developed from a bed of reeds.
In 2006, Charles III bought a bright blue country house in Viscri, Transylvania. The future monarch was enamored by the hamlet of 400 inhabitants with its dirt streets and horse-drawn carriages and brightly colored houses surrounded by green hills.
Traditional crafts
The 18th century residence has been transformed into a training center for traditional crafts. Charles also acquired a property in Valea Zalanului, which he has turned into a bed and breakfast.
“The property has kept its Transylvanian authenticity by having been carefully restored with traditional methods and materials”, the guest house site says. Indeed, the rooms are furnished with antique furniture and textiles from Transylvania.Don’t expect to find a television but rather many books on the shelves, and of course for the obligatory „tea time” an electric kettle and tea pot. Count on spending about 100 euros a night.
“The Prince of Wales hopes his guest house will encourage more people to visit Transylvania and thus promote sustainable development,” the site says. Proceeds from the bed and breakfast go to the prince of Wales Foundation, a charity that was launched in 2015, which aims to protect the country’s heritage.
Romanian villages
“It is very modest, it is not Highgrove. These are village houses which Charles III decided to preserve,” said Stéphane Bern, a specialist on the British royal family. “He was enchanted by these Romanian villages and acquired these properties in a desire to preserve the heritage”.
Le Figaro asks what will happen to the properties now Charles is King. „He can decide to attach them to the Duchy of Cornwall (which provides an annuity to the heir to the Crown, now William, editor’s note) in which case it would go to William, or keep them as his personal properties”, Stéphane Bern suggests.
King Michael
The Transylvanian properties are not the King’s only link to Romania. “He is close to the Romanian royal family. King Michael of Romania had met his future wife, Anne de Bourbon-Parme, at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh”, he adds.
Mourners gather at King Charles III home in Transylvania to reflect on queen’s life
