King Charles isn’t afraid to talk about his royal roots even the spooky ones. Actor Luke Evans shared a surprising story in his new memoir Boy from the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey. He wrote about meeting Charles at a Prince’s Trust gala in 2014 at The Savoy Hotel in London. That night, Evans learned something unexpected: the then-Prince said he was related to the real-life Dracula.
Evans had just finished filming Dracula Untold, where he played Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Romanian leader who inspired Bram Stoker’s famous vampire. When he told Charles about it, the royal’s eyes lit up.
“He told me, ‘I’m actually related to Vlad Tepes,’” Evans recalled. Charles then explained his family history going all the way back to the 1400s and said he owns properties in Romania, where Vlad once ruled.
Evans said Charles stayed a bit longer with him than other guests, probably because they had something unusual to talk about. The king smiled and walked away, saying, “Not many people know that.”
The Prince’s Trust, now called the King’s Trust, was started by Charles in 1976 to support young people in the UK. Evans is one of its ambassadors.
Royal experts say Charles has a deep love for Romania. He visits every year and owns at least 10 properties there. He even has a countryside home with no TV, Wi-Fi, or radio just peace and quiet to hike and paint.
Some officials in Romania even joked that Charles is the “Prince of Transylvania.” In 2023, during a visit to Romania, Charles spoke about his strong connection to the country it was his first overseas trip after becoming king.
In 2017, the mayor of Alba Iulia even offered him the honorary title of “Prince of Transylvania.” It’s unclear if Charles accepted the title, but he’s made it clear: he loves Romania, and he’s proud of his unusual family history.
