The King, who used to visit his Transylvanian properties regularly as heir to the throne, will return soon to Romania.Continue reading
After his “semi-official” program in Bucharest, King Charles III arrived last Friday evening at his Szekler estate in Zalánpatak, where he will stay until Tuesday, the Transylvanian news portal Krónika reported. The monarch has been returning regularly to Romania for the past 25 years, where he has already bought several properties in Transylvania. For his current trip, he arrived without his wife, Queen Consort Camilla.
The British monarch currently owns ten houses in Romania, one of which is located in Zalánpatak (Valea Zălanului), in Covasna County, Transylvania. Around 1.5 million Hungarians live in Transylvania (which formerly belonged to historic Hungary), and the ethnic Hungarian population of Transylvania form a majority in the counties of Covasna and Harghita.
In Zalánpatak, there are renovated farm houses on the King’s property, and in the guest house, Aunt Éva, a Hungarian cook, takes care of the daily chores. Interestingly, anyone can stay at this property for around 50,000 forints (EUR 135) a day.
Aunt Éva has previously said that she has known the British monarch since 2012, and that he has visited Zalánpatak every year, only missing the trip during Covid-19.
King Charles owns four houses in Bréb (Breb) in Maramureș County, and also has properties in Sibiu and Brașov counties. The monarch has so far invested around 1 million pounds in Transylvania. In addition, King Charles III is the first British monarch to visit the country, having previously visited only as the Prince of Wales.
On Saturday, locals welcomed the King with a picnic of local products and Hungarian folk songs. According to reports, King Charles III enjoyed himself quite a lot at the event.
The first of his five-day private visit was a “courtesy meeting” with head of state Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest. In a short speech to Romanian state leaders, civil society representatives, and foreign mission leaders gathered at the President’s office to receive him,
Charles III said he felt at home in Romania and loved the country, appreciating its culture, art, historical heritage, landscapes, and diversity of life.
At the reception, the monarch stressed that he also has family ties to the country: his father’s cousin was King Michael, the last Romanian monarch to be expelled from the country in 1947.
Furthermore, the British royal family also has Hungarian roots in Transylvania. The King is the great-great-great grandson of Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde, who was born in 1812 in Erdőszentgyörgy (Sângeorgiu de Pădure) in Mureș county and brought up in the Rhédey castle there.
Featured photo via Facebook/The Royal Family