Why is Transylvania so special to King Charles III as he is set to travel there on holiday?

King Charles’s coronation was undoubtedly one of the most momentous occasions of his life, and it is only natural that he will be looking for some ‘down time’ after the hectic pace of the last few months. It looks like he will be able to unwind in a special place for him next month, his cottage in the Zalan Valley in Romania.

King Charles is set to travel to Romania without his wife, Queen Camilla. Botanist John Akeroyd who has reportedly visited Transylvania with Charles almost every year for two decades told the Daily Mail that “He [King Charles] has a little place where he sits outside; you sometimes see him sitting there writing and it is just wonderful. He’s probably working jolly hard, but he is able to relax there.”

House & Garden reported in 2022 that “King Charles owns a guesthouse (in Transylvania) that you can stay for as little as £105 a night. Close to the village of Viscri, amongst the wildflower meadows and rolling forested hills of Zalan Valley, King Charles’s retreat comprises of a cluster of carefully resorted cottages in which guest rooms are decorated with antiques, crafts and embroidered textiles that remain true to their Transylvanian roots.”

It is not yet known how long King Charles is staying at his home in Romania, but it is expected that he will remain there for at least a week. Whilst King Charles is away, Queen Camilla is likely to remain at her Ray Mill residence in Wiltshire.

Queen Camilla purchased Ray Mill in 1994 for £850,000 and returned there after the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September. She is reportedly to feel most at home at this residence and is likely (in King Charles’s absence) to spend as much quality time as she can with her two children, Tom Parker-Bowles and Laura Lopes, and grandchildren. 

When Queen Camilla’s daughter Laura married Harry Lopes at St Cyriac’s church in the village of Lacock in 2006, the couple had their reception at Ray Mill.