Is King Charles related to real-life Dracula?

A viral online post claims King Charles is connected to Vlad the Impaler, the real-life Dracula.

In a twist straight out of a horror novel, people have just discovered that King Charles III is related to the real-life Dracula. 

Both Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II can trace their ancestry back to Vlad the Impaler, a 15th-century Romanian prince with a knack for impaling his enemies on stakes.

A recent viral post about this eerie family connection has racked up over half a million views, leaving many Royal Family fans utterly shocked. Who knew the King had a "bit of a stake" in Transylvania?

King Charles proudly admitted that his bloodline goes all the way back to Vlad the Impaler, better known as Dracula.

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

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) May 14, 2024

Vlad, known as Vlad Dracula, earned his spooky nickname as the son of Vlad II Dracul. While Bram Stoker's Dracula is often linked to Vlad III, historians believe the connection is more about the name than the blood-sucking.

According to the Romania Tour Store, King Charles is the great-grandson 16 times removed of Vlad III, through Queen Mary. Charles has even embraced his Transylvanian roots, restoring a farmhouse in the area and doing charity work there. In 2017, the mayor of Alba Iulia even invited him to accept the honorary title of Prince of Transylvania.