King Charles III has previously spoken about his familial link to the ‘real-life Dracula’, but it turns out many royal fans had no idea.

Royal Family fans have been shocked to learn King Charles III is related to Dracula.

Both Charles and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, can trace their ancestry back to Vlad the Impaler (Vlad III), a 15th-century Romanian prince infamous for his brutal method of impaling enemies on stakes.

Vlad III was also known as Vlad Dracula, being the illegitimate son of Vlad II Dracul. ‘Dracul’ translates to ‘the Dragon’, a title Vlad II earned due to his membership in the Order of the Dragon. ‘Dracula’ signifies ‘son of Dracul’.

The character of Dracula from Bram Stoker’s novel, published in 1897, is believed by some to have been inspired by Vlad III.

However, historians suggest that Stoker merely borrowed the name and based the character more on the blood-sucking vampires found in Romanian folklore.