IT may be a place better known for be-fanged and blood-thirsty aristocrats than loved-up royals, but there are signs that Kate and William will be spending part of their honeymoon in a picturesque village in the wilds of Transylvania.
Excited inhabitants of the 12th-century Saxon village of Viscri – a World Heritage Site where the Prince of Wales owns a beautiful 18th-century property – are currently preparing “traditional Transylvanian honeymoon treats and surprises” for the royal couple.
Locals are convinced they will head there after their wedding, said Sara Dootz, 74, a neighbour of the Prince of Wales. A local report suggests the area has been security checked ahead of the visit.
Media speculation about where the couple will honeymoon has ranged from the Greek islands to horseback riding in Latin America, or a tour of Jordan’s ancient monuments.
But so far no-one has speculated that the brooding forests and quaint village life of Transylvania might be the Royal couple’s idea of honeymoon bliss.
Transylvanian aristocrats certainly feature on the wedding list. The couple have invited Count Tibor Kalnoky and his wife, Countess Anna, from the neighbouring village of Miclosoara. The aristocrats are friends of Prince Charles.
Speculation about the honeymoon destination has become slightly hysterical in recent days.
One English red-top has, according to Fleet Street rumours, chartered a yacht to scour the Aegean for any possible honeymoon hideaway.
The couple are thought to be planning more than one honeymoon destination, and may spend part of it on one of the Royal estates, possibly Balmoral. There has also been speculation that the couple may also go to the Scilly Isles.
Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Viscri are finalising their plans for the celebration in traditional Transylvanian fashion. Dootz says that she wants to treat the royal couple to a traditional Transylvanian speciality of goose soup.
“Every day, we will kill a goose to make soup with homemade fine vermicelli served with hunks of home-baked bread, the way Prince Charles enjoyed it when he visited Viscri.
“We will also supply them with milk, eggs, jams and other fine home produce. And, for sure, we will give them ‘tsuica’ [a fierce, home-brewed plum brandy].”
Anisia Stanculescu, who runs a B&B in the village, said she, too, would make sure that traditional dishes would be placed on the young royals’ table.“We will serve them ‘slanina’ [cured, solid fat bacon] and paprika sausages and will delight Kate with our best preserves and homemade sweets. We also have good local wines and tsuica.”
The neighbours say that Prince Charles is also planning a brief visit to his Transylvanian domain at the end of May – a restored five-bedroom traditional peasant house at Zalanpatak, a small, secluded settlement founded by one of the prince’s 16th-century Transylvanian Hungarian ancestors.
Prince Charles’ links to Transylvania go back a long way. As he put it in a speech: “Transylvania is in my blood. I have family connections here and that’s why I am so interested in the region.”
A spokesman for Clarence House told the Sunday Herald: ‘‘We cannot comment on speculation surrounding the honeymoon destination. All will be revealed at the time.’’
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