King Charles appeared relaxed as he strolled in Transylvania during his private solo trip to Romania today.
The 74-year-old king is believed to be staying in the country for five days during his visit. This is his first visit abroad since the coronation last month.
And as the monarch takes a break from his official engagements in the UK, he marked the first day of his trip earlier this week with a formal bilateral meeting.
Charles met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in the capital Bucharest on Thursday, followed by a reception where he delivered a speech praising the country’s culture, arts, heritage, history, vast landscapes and biodiversity.
Following official business today, the king was photographed rather casually walking in the village of Valea Zalanului in Szeklerland, Transylvania, where he owns private property.
King Charles looked relaxed as he strolled through Valea Zalanului, a village some 250km north of Bucharest where he owns private property
The king, who has owned a private estate in Bucharest in Transylvania since the late 1990s, praised the country
King Charles bought the estate in the village, some 250km north of Bucharest, in the late 1990s and has been visiting regularly ever since.
The king wore a short-sleeved blue shirt and light beige trousers and carried a cane on his walk today.
He looked casual, wore sunglasses to protect his eyes from the glare of the sun, and had binoculars around his neck.
During the walk, Charles was accompanied by a group and was seen conversing with them while gesturing vigorously with his hands.
The monarch arrived at the estate yesterday and was greeted by locals who presented him with flowers.
He was pictured smiling as he shook hands with the public outside the gates of the estate.
The king has several connections to Romania.
His maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Klaudia Rhedey, was born and raised in the Transylvania region.
King Karl was accompanied by a group of people today as he walked in the Transylvanian village
The king (pictured) is believed to be spending five days in Romania, marking his first visit abroad since last month’s coronation
He has developed a close relationship with the country since his first visit to Romania 25 years ago.
In 2015, he established the Prince of Wales’ Foundation Romania, which provides heritage conservation training to both local and international trainees.
And last year he traveled to Bucharest to visit a donation center for Ukrainian refugees and chat with those fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland.
He owns a number of properties in Romania’s Transylvania region, including a holiday rental – which helps fund his foundation – and a 17th-century farmhouse that serves as the foundation’s headquarters, both in the village of Viscri.
The king arrived yesterday at his estate in Valea Zalanului (pictured), where he greeted locals
Smile: Charles appeared to be beaming as a local woman (pictured) presented him with flowers as he arrived at his Transylvanian estate
Several locals came to greet the king in front of his estate, which he has frequented since buying it in the late 1990s
In his speech on Thursday, the king openly expressed his admiration for the country and its people.
He said: “Like I said before, I’ve come to love Romania – its culture and art, its heritage and history, its vast landscapes and priceless biodiversity, that ‘Tara de Gloria, Tara de Dor’ (Land of Glory, Land ). of longing), if I may paraphrase your national poet Mihai Eminescu.
“Romania has retained an unrivaled natural wealth with its ancient forests, unspoiled countryside and some notable examples of sustainable agriculture.”
“Most of all, I appreciate my Romanian friends here.”
“I am enormously grateful to many of the people in this audience for their kind help on so many occasions and for their support of projects that are making a difference in communities across the country.”