King Charles visits Romania in first overseas trip since the Coronation

The king has embarked on his first overseas visit since his coronation, traveling to Romania for a private solo stay in the country’s Transylvanian region.

Charles is taking a break from official engagements in the UK, but will begin his journey with a formal bilateral meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in the capital Bucharest.

President Iohannis was a guest at the King’s coronation on May 6 and the two men sat down for talks at the Cop26 UN Climate Summit to be hosted in Glasgow in 2021.

It is not known how long Charles will spend in Romania, but he is expected to visit the Transylvanian region of the country, where he owns at least ten properties.

Charles is taking a break from official UK engagements, but will begin his journey with a formal bilateral meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis (pictured) in the capital Bucharest

The king has developed a close relationship with Romania, a country he first visited in 1988, and last year he traveled to Bucharest to visit a donation center for Ukrainian refugees and chat with those who had fled the Russian invasion of their homeland.

In 2015, he founded the Prince of Wales’ Foundation Romania, which offers heritage conservation training to both local people and international students.

His rural properties include a vacation rental – which funds the foundation – and a 17th-century farmhouse, which serves as the foundation’s headquarters, both in the village of Viscri.

It is not known how long Charles will spend in Romania, but he is expected to visit the Transylvanian region of the country where he owns a number of properties.

British King Charles and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attend the official welcoming ceremony at Cotroceni Palace, Bucharest

The king is thought to be related to a well-known figure in Romanian history, Vlad the Impaler – said to be the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

His ties to the infamous leader are through his great-grandmother Queen Mary, the consort of George V, who was descended from the German Wurttembergs and was therefore linked to the bloodthirsty Vlad.

Charles’ journey begins with a guard of honor welcoming the visiting head of state to the capital’s Cotroceni Palace ahead of his meeting with President Iohannis.

Romania’s president will later hold a reception in the king’s honor at the palace’s Union Hall to mark the 25th anniversary since his first visit to the country.

In the past, Charles has spoken fondly of the land and his time in the Carpathians, saying that the land is “in his blood.”

He said during his visit last June: ‘There’s a sense of age-old continuity here. A virtuous circle where man and nature are in balance.’

The maternal great-great-grandmother, Klaudia Rhedey, was also born and raised in the region.

King Charles hiked on his annual trip to the Transylvanian countryside last year

The monarch spoke fondly of the land, saying it is “in his blood.” Above: View over the city of Sighisoara, Romania

The king owns ten properties throughout the Romanian region, which he purchased in the late 1990s. In the photo: his holiday home in Viscri

Klaudia, a Hungarian speaker, married into German royalty and was known as the Princess of Teck.

Her granddaughter, Queen Mary, was the wife of George V and great-grandmother of Charles.

Charles purchased his estate in Valea Zalanului, Szeklerland, in the 1990s and now rents it out as a nature retreat for those wishing to explore the Zalán Valley and surrounding mountains.

The guest house where he will stay is located near the village of Viscri and is decorated with traditional antique Transylvanian furniture and textiles.

There are no televisions or radios in any of the rooms, only books, and guests are expected to dine together.

Daily activities on offer include horse riding, walks through a wildflower meadow named after Prince George, and trips to the nearby mineral baths.