Prince Charles traces his roots to the original vampire

(CBS/AP) Britain's Prince Charles is now trying to get in on the vampire trend.

The heir to the British throne says he is related to Vlad the Impaler, or as legend has it,  the original vampire.

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The 15th-Century Romanian warlord helped inspire Bram Stoker's 1897 vampire novel "Dracula."

Charles' comments came during a world tour promoting various eco-friendly causes, including preserving the forests of Romania's Transylvania region.

The prince tried to connect with the area stating that genealogy shows that he is related to Vlad. Charles has long worked to conserve the forests and has bought a home in the region.

On a visit to Romania earlier this year, he called Transylvania a national treasure because of its unspoiled landscape and centuries-old rural farming traditions.