King Charles Is Related To Dracula; Monarch Admits He's Vlad The Impaler's Descendant
King Charles III is descended from the real-life Count Dracula.
The British monarch made headlines earlier this week after the unveiling of his first official portrait as king -- which some have since described as "bloody" and "Satanic."
The depiction of King Charles bathed in what appeared to be a pool of crimson reminded some netizens of the royal's bloodied family tree.
Shortly after the fiery portrait was revealed, a video of King Charles admitting that he is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler resurfaced and went viral on X, formerly Twitter.
"The genealogy shows that I'm descended from Vlad the Impaler, so I do have a bit of a stake in the country," then-Prince Charles said in the clip while promoting Romanian tourism in 2011.
King Charles proudly admitted that his bloodline goes all the way back to Vlad the Impaler, better known as Dracula.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) May 14, 2024
Vlad the Impaler’s bloodlust and cruelty was said to have inspired the most famous vampire of literature.
Vlad watched as his men cut off victims’ limbs while he… pic.twitter.com/yPDIVBFgne
Also known as Vlad III and Vlad Tepes, the 15th-century ruler of the Romanian region of Wallachia is widely thought to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's "Dracula."
The bloodthirsty warlord got his nickname from his favorite method of execution, having been known to kill his enemies by impaling them on wooden stakes. His victims have been estimated to number anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000, according to PBS.
Vlad was often referred to as "Dracula," which translates to "the Devil's son," the Mirror noted.
King Charles is the great-grandson 16 times removed of Vlad.
They are related through Queen Elizabeth II's grandmother and Charles' great-grandmother, Mary of Teck, who was believed to be descended from two of Vlad's sons, according to CBS News.
Despite Vlad's bloodthirsty reputation, King Charles has not shied away from revealing his connection to his infamous distant relative.
In 2022, actor Luke Evans shared on "The Jonathan Ross Show" that he bonded with the then-prince over Vlad when they first met over a decade ago.
Evans, who played Vlad III in the 2014 movie "Dracula Untold," recalled being shocked by Charles' revelation.
"I had just finished filming 'Dracula Untold' in which I played Vlad Tepes. He came up to me and said 'What are you working on at the moment?' and I said 'I've just finished a movie about Vlad Tepes who turns into Dracula.' And he went 'Funnily enough, I'm related to Vlad Tepes,'" Evans told the host.
"I thought he was joking! He went through his lineage to Vlad," the actor added.
King Charles has been visiting Romania regularly since 1998 and owns properties in Transylvania.
During one visit to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, Charles, a longtime champion for environmental issues, spoke about his love for the country, especially its countryside and wildlife.
"I have come to love Romania -- your culture and art, your heritage and history, your sweeping landscapes and priceless biodiversity," the then-prince said. "Romania has retained, in its ancient forests, pristine countryside, and through some remarkable examples of sustainable farming, an incomparable richness of nature."
