King Charles in Romania for meeting with country's president

British monarch touches down in Bucharest to mark 25th anniversary of his first visit

Britain's King Charles III reviews a guard of honour with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis during a welcoming ceremony at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Romania. AP

King Charles III has arrived in Romania in his first overseas visit since his coronation, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The king received a guard of honour at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, before holding a formal meeting with Romania's President Klaus Iohannis.

Mr Iohannis will later host a reception in the king’s honour in the palace’s Union Hall to mark the 25th anniversary of his first visit to the country.

It is not known how long the king will spend in Romania for the visit, but he is expected to visit the country’s Transylvanian region.

Last year the king travelled to Bucharest to tour a donation centre for Ukrainian refugees and chatted to those who had fled the Russian invasion of their homeland.

In 2015 he established the Prince of Wales’ Foundation Romania, which offers heritage preservation training courses to local people and international apprentices.

He owns several properties in Transylvania, including a holiday let and a 17th-century peasant’s house, which acts as the foundation’s headquarters, both in the village of Viscri.

The king is thought to be related to a well-known figure from Romanian history, Vlad the Impaler – said to be the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

His links to the infamous leader are through his great-grandmother Queen Mary, the consort of George V, who was descended from the German Wurttembergs.

Mr Iohannis was a guest at the king’s crowning on May 6 and the two men sat down for talks during the Cop26 UN climate summit hosted by Glasgow in 2021.