By Laura Sharman

Published: 09:02 EDT, 20 September 2023 | Updated: 11:18 EDT, 20 September 2023

Two British volunteer fighters who fought in Ukraine are feared to have been murdered by their fellow foreign legion comrades following alleged disputes over money and petty arguments, it has emerged. 

Daniel Burke, a former paratrooper who went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year, vanished from his flat in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11 and hasn’t been seen since.

There are now fears that the 36-year-old could have been killed not by Russian soldiers, but by his fellow foreign legion fighters because of reported disputes and jealousy over the amount of money he was receiving in donations.

As Ukrainian police comb the fields of Komyshuvakha village on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia for any sign of Burke’s body, cops further east are investigating the death of former British soldier Jordan Chadwick, 31, near Bakhmut. 

Chadwick, a former Scots Guard from Burnley, Lancashire, who also volunteered to fight for Ukraine, was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June.

A source told the Daily Telegraph that Chadwick had been shot during a petty argument that got out of hand, raising further mystery surrounding his death.

The two cases involving Burke and Chadwick are not thought to be linked, but they have raised fears among fellow comrades that they may have been murdered by fellow foreign legion fighters. 

Ukrainian police, already struggling with a heavy caseload since the war began, are now investigating claims that Burke could have been killed following disputes over money. 

Burke, who had served in Afghanistan with the British army before fighting against ISIS with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, had travelled to Ukraine to fight as a volunteer last year. 

He had told fellow fighters that he was receiving £8,000 a month from American millionaires in donations thanks to his public profile – and there are fears this could have sparked envy among the troops. 

Police are also analysing CCTV footage of Burke’s movements in a car that his friend, Australian volunteer Norine Abdelfetah, had lent him on the day he disappeared.

Abdelfetah told police he had dropped Burke off at his apartment on August 11 and had lent the Briton his car for the weekend after he complained about having food poisoning, reports the Telegraph. 

The Australian said there was no sign of Burke when he came to collect the car two days later, and a day later, Adbelfetah’s colleage, James Sutton, told police. 

While a source told the Telegraph that in Chadwick’s case, there are fears he was shot during a petty argument, there is further speculation that he may have drowned in an initiation ceremony gone wrong.

A YouTube channel has claimed the ceremony was devised by a fellow volunteer who used to be in the SAS and said the water found in his lungs did not match the water where he was found according to forensic examinations.

Chadwick’s death only emerged last week when his mother, Brenda Chadwick, told the BBC she was ‘devastated’ by the death of her son, who served in the Scots Guards from 2011 to 2015.

‘His passion to support freedom and assist others with his skills led him to leave the UK and travel to Ukraine in early October 2022,’ Brenda said. 

‘Although we are extremely proud of his unwavering courage and resilience, his death has been devastating. No words can be found to describe the loss of such a short life.

‘A son, brother, grandson, nephew and uncle, who was loved immensely.’

The speculation that Burke and Chadwick may have been killed by their fellow foreign legion fighters exposes the dark side of the voluntary service fighting in Ukraine, with volunteers complaining there is very little vetting done.

‘There are guys who shouldn’t be here – some with criminal records, some with PTSD, and some with drug and alcohol problems or who use steroids,’ one volunteer told the paper. 

The UK’s Foreign Office declined to comment on the lines of inquiry currently being investigated in relation to Burke and Chadwick’s cases.

The Foreign Office has apologised to a British academic who had accused the Government for ‘abandoning’ him while he was tortured in the UAE after being falsely accused of spying for the MI6.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has admitted that officials ‘did not fully follow our guidance on torture and mistreatment’ in the case of Matthew Hedges.

Mr Hedges was sentenced to life in jail after being arrested at Dubai airport in May 2018. He was held in UAE custody where he suffered intense interrogations and torture amid accusations he was collecting sensitive information which went ‘far beyond’ academic research.

The Durham University researcher was released after being granted a presidential pardon and returned to the UK in November 2018. 

The apology – which Mr Hedges has hailed as a ‘watershed moment’ – comes after Parliamentary Ombudsman ruled last month that the FCDO failed to protect Mr Hedges, should issue a formal apology and pay him compensation. 

The UAE Government categorically denies torturing Mr Hedges, and said his claims are ‘wholly untrue and without any foundation’. 

The FCDO issued a formal apology to Mr Hedges in a letter on August 31 this year, MailOnline can reveal.  

In the letter the authority accepted the findings of the parliamentary watchdog’s internal review in full and told Mr Hedges that officials ‘recognise the profound impact of your detention in UAE on you and the injustice you have faced’.

The letter reads: ‘On behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, I acknowledge, and apologise for, the failing identified by the Ombudsman, specifically I recognise that we did not fully follow our guidance on torture and mistreatment and that this failure has left you uncertain as to whether more could have been done on your behalf.’

The Ombudsman, which began its probe in 2019, ruled last month that the FCDO did not act in accordance to its own internal guidance when it came to ‘spotting signs of torture when meeting with British detainees’.

The watchdog recommended the FCDO should issue a formal apology to Mr Hedges within three months, as well as pay him £1,500 in compensation. The Ombudsman also advised that the authority review their internal practices.

Mr Hedges – who last month told MailOnline that he ‘felt completely abandoned’ by the British Government and ‘could not believe that they were not able to understand the very clear and obvious signs of my torture’ – said he is ‘delighted’ to have received the apology from the FCDO.

‘It has been a battle to reach this stage. The FCDO’s acknowledgement of the torture and injustice I suffered at the hands of the UAE is a watershed moment, not just for me and my family, but for all British nationals,’ he told MailOnline on Monday. 

‘There is now no doubt that the FCDO failed in their obligations towards one of their citizens and I truly hope that the hundreds of other British nationals who are currently detained and suffering torture will benefit from the FCDO’s promise of reviewing their clearly outdated and insufficient policies.’

However, Mr Hedges claims the apology does not alleviate all of the pain he endured, including the fact that ‘I still have a criminal record for espionage on behalf of the British Government’.

He criticised the Government’s continued relationship with the UAE, saying ‘it is baffling that the UK continues to work alongside the UAE knowing how callous they are with British lives’.

Mr Hedges also called the FCDO to ‘do more to push the UAE to clear my name given that they have this close relationship’. He also acknowledged that the false allegations of espionage were ‘refuted by all levels of the UK Government at the time of my detention’.

Mr Hedges was arrested at Dubai Airport on May 5, 2018, as he was poised to leave the country, having been in the UAE on a two-week research trip for his PhD in security.

He was accused of being an MI6 agent, detained and eventually found guilty on spying offences, before being given an official pardon after a long campaign by his wife Daniela and an intervention from Mr Hunt.

Last month he told MailOnline: ‘The reluctance of the FCDO to protect me – a completely innocent British citizen, within a country that they themselves know commits torture – was one of the most shocking things to deal with during that time.’ 

The academic has always fiercely denied being involved with any spying agency and the UK government has previously confirmed it did not see any evidence which supported the state’s claims.

During his detention, Mr Hedges was kept in a windowless cell, and for the first few months was forced to sleep on the floor with the lights constantly switched on.

Mr Hedges also previously revealed that he was forced to take a cocktail of drugs that doctors were made to prescribe for him, was constantly watched and repeatedly interrogated.

While in confinement, he suffered from anxiety and panic and was unable to sleep. After being sentenced to life in prison, he attempted to take his own life.

But he was granted clemency in November 2018 and returned to the UK shortly afterwards. 

He submitted his complaint to the Ombudsman in September 2019 and the watchdog last month ruled the FCDO failed to protect him. 

The watchdog said embassy staff who visited Mr Hedges while he was in detention noticed his voice was shaking, he avoided eye contact and mentioned having anxiety attacks.

It added these were signs he might have been subject to torture or mistreatment, and that Foreign Office guidelines say that staff should have acted in response even when they do not have consent.

The Ombudsman recommended the authority not only apologise and pay compensation, but also ‘say what it will do to ensure its handling of similar circumstances is consistent with relevant guidance’.

Mr Hedges has now said it is a ‘real shame’ that the ‘long-awaited apology’ only came in response to the parliamentary watchdog’s investigation.

‘I would have hoped that the FCDO would take the initiative to learn from their own mistakes without needing an oversight body to force them to do so,’ the academic told MailOnline on Monday. 

‘I cannot overstate how fundamental it is that the FCDO improves its procedures for protecting British citizens that are detained abroad, especially for those like Jaghtar Singh Johal in India, and Alaa Abd El-Fattah in Egypt, who like me, have suffered torture at the hands of the authorities holding them – also British allies.’

Mr Hedges said he will ‘continue to fight for those who are not lucky enough to have been freed’ and for those who have ‘ridiculous false charges made against them’.

He added: ‘And today I revel in the fact that the FCDO have agreed they must do more to protect and help British citizens.’

His vow to continue advocating for other alleged victims of torture, echoes remarks he made last month.

Last month, responding to the Ombudsman’s findings, Mr Hedges said he wants to do everything in his power to warn other British nationals about the dangers of travelling to the UAE, adding ‘there are serious limits to what the FCDO will actually do to help and protect you’.

He told MailOnline at the time: ‘Nothing will ever make up for what I went through, but it feels like a semblance of justice to know that the behaviour of the Foreign Office was unacceptable and to have their failure to protect recognised.’

‘The Foreign Office doesn’t tell you it’s unsafe, but people aren’t educated that this is a country that is known to do this.

‘The FCDO knows the UAE tortures and abuses people, it’s in the report. They know this occurs and they act as if there’s no issue.

‘This is when the anger starts to rise’, he said of individuals he is currently pursuing legal action against. ‘They act as if nothing happened and if something did happen they are disregarding it.

‘They are cosying up to the people involved in this, it questions their morality. I’m not here to say never contact these people. But they saw this torture occur and their acting as if nothing happened.’ 

Mr Hedges added that he was not angry with the FCDO as a whole, but instead with ‘individuals in the Foreign Office’ who he feels failed to protect him.

Last month, a statement from the UAE government said Mr Hedges was convicted of espionage following a ‘fair and transparent trial at which he admitted the charges against him’.

The UAE government said it provided Mr Hedges with ‘entirely proper care and treatment’.

‘He was never subjected to, or threatened with, either torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of any sort. The UAE has evidence to support this,’ the statement read.

‘Allegations by Mr Hedges of mistreatment are categorically false and lack evidentiary basis. His claims of being “tortured” while in UAE custody are wholly untrue and without any foundation whatsoever.

It added: ‘None of Mr Hedges’ claims have ever been accepted by any court, government, or international body.’

MailOnline has approached the Foreign Office for comment. 

Americans by wide margins say President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, violated a law against peddling foreign influence, a DailyMail.com poll shows, amid swirling allegations about the first family’s business dealings.

Fully 63 percent of voters say the president breached the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which obliges people to declare foreign interests, when he served as vice president and his son worked with the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma.

Another 29 percent said they did not believe Biden, a Democrat, had broken the rules, and 8 percent were not sure. Republican voters overwhelmingly said Biden had committed wrongdoing, as did 38 percent of Democrats.

The results follow the claims from Hunter’s former friend business partner, Devon Archer, about how the first son raked in huge sums by selling his ties to father Joe, in a bombshell congressional testimony and interviews earlier this month.

Biden, who was then vice president in the Obama administration, was present in-person during dinner meetings and sat in on at least 20 phone calls with foreign associates, Archer told the House Oversight Committee.

After the testimony, committee chairman James Comer, a Republican, said Archer’s revelations marked a ‘huge step toward implicating Joe Biden’ in violating FARA by assisting Hunter’s dealings with Burisma, where he served on the board.

Biden this week insisted he ‘never talked business’ with Hunter or his associates.

Our DailyMail.com/TIPP poll survey of 542 US adults earlier this month focussed only on people who followed Archer’s testimony.

Those respondents were even more persuaded of wrongdoing by the president’s son.

Fully 69 percent said Hunter had broken FARA rules by representing a Chinese energy company without registering as a foreign agent.

Another 18 percent said the younger Biden had not violated FARA, and 13 percent were not sure. 

Republicans overwhelmingly found fault with Hunter, as did nearly half of Democrats.

Comer on Thursday raised the stakes on the Bidens again, saying his committee will subpoena members of the family to testify about their business dealings.

‘This was always gonna end with the Bidens coming in front of the committee. We are going to subpoena the family,’ Comer told Fox Business.

‘We know that this is going to end up in court when we subpoena the Bidens.’

Speaker Kevin McCarthy has floated the idea of launching an impeachment inquiry to give greater weight to congressional subpoena power of the Biden investigations.

In his testimony and interviews, Archer did not claim to have ever heard Joe Biden discussing business but said Hunter would use his father as a flex.

Hearing the voice of the vice president on speed dial was enough to sell the ‘brand’ to foreign executives, he said.

‘I can definitively say at particular dinners or meetings, he knew there were business associates,’ Archer told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson last week in an interview following his testimony.

‘I don’t know if it was an orchestrated call-in or not. It certainly was powerful, though, because, you know, if you’re sitting with a foreign businessperson, and you hear the vice president’s voice, that’s prize enough,’ Archer went on.

‘Sometimes it was the call was coming in and the speaker would go on,’ Archer said, detailing the conversations.

‘You understand DC, right? So the power to have that access in that conversation – it’s not in a scheduled conference call and that’s a part of your family. That’s like the pinnacle of power in DC.’

Comer claims to have found records detailing over $20 million in payments to the Biden family and their partners from foreign business leaders around the time Joe was vice president.

Weeks ago Hunter Biden’s plea deal for tax and gun crimes blew up when a judge informed him he would not be shielded from future charges, specifically mentioning a violation of FARA, or failing to register as a foreign agent.

FARA was enacted in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda. 

It requires foreign lobbyists to register with the Justice Department. Prosecutors brought a handful of FARA cases in the postwar era, but stepped up cases in 2019 to counter rising Russian interference.

Britons do not have to travel as far as they think to stumble upon holiday heaven.

The UK plays host to an impressive variety of beaches, mountains and historic hubs that rival similar attractions in holiday hotspots such as Spain, Italy and even Australia.

With that in mind, here we reveal 15 ‘staycation doppelgangers’ – UK alternatives to popular foreign holiday destinations. 

They might just make you think twice about leaving the country for your next getaway…

FISTRAL BEACH IN CORNWALL… VS BONDI BEACH IN AUSTRALIA

Cornwall is known for its breathtaking beaches, which often tempt Britons away from the airport.

Newquay’s Fistral Beach, in particular, lures in holidaymakers – and masses of surfers – each year. Time Out says: ‘The iconic Fistral Beach is Britain’s answer to an Australian surfing paradise – Bondi – minus the temperatures. You’re going to want to keep that wetsuit on.’

Its waves are ‘among the most consistent in Europe’ with ‘big swells’ and ‘some cracking barrels’, the publication adds.

Surfers keen to visit should plan a trip in the month of August, when surfers from around the world arrive on the beach for the annual Boardmasters surf and music festival. 

PORTMEIRION IN WALES… VS PORTOFINO IN ITALY

The Italianate-style village of Portmeirion on the North coast of Wales boasts colourful buildings with rustic wooden shutters overlooking manicured gardens and stone fountains – just as you would expect to see in Portofino, along Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

In a Tripadvisor post, one review posted by ‘karen1232016’ read: ‘Beautiful scenery in this unusual place. It has some very interesting buildings which resemble the Amalfi coast. Very touristy but that is its charm.’

The village offers ‘architectural heritage’ in a ‘stunning setting’ and ‘sub-tropical gardens’ as well as ‘two stylish hotels, a cluster of self-catering cottages, shops, and a spa’, according to its official website.

SAINT MICHAEL’S MOUNT IN CORNWALL… VS MONT-SAINT-MICHEL IN FRANCE

Mont-Saint-Michel, a tidal island crowned by an abbey in Normandy, is one of ‘France’s most stunning sites’, according to the local tourist board.

Britain has its own answer to this spectacular little isle – St Michael’s Mount in Mount’s Bay, Cornwall. They’ve been confused for one another in the past, with a British magazine recently mistakenly printing a picture of the French isle in place of the Cornish one. 

Both islands are dedicated to St Michael and they have a shared history. 

Normandy’s Mont Saint Michel was built between the 11th and 16th century, while construction for Cornwall’s Saint Michael’s Mount began in 1135. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Earl Of Cornwall Robert de Mortain gave Saint Michael’s Mount to the monks on the Normandy island. However, links between the icons were later severed during the reign of Henry Vlll. 

BLACKPOOL… VS PARIS

Despite a significant difference in scale, there is no denying there are some similarities between the Eiffel Tower of Paris and its British counterpart – the Blackpool Tower in Lancashire.

It’s no coincidence – the attraction’s official website notes that Blackpool Tower is modelled on the iconic Parisian landmark. 

The website reveals: ‘The plan was never to replicate the exact structure, just to use it as inspiration.’ Just like the Eiffel Tower, you can climb to the top of Blackpool’s equivalent for panoramic views of the streets below. 

There are also a handful of nearby restaurants serving French dishes, wines, and cheeses, such as Fifty Four and The 56 Restaurant.

LOCH TORRIDON IN SCOTLAND… VS NORWAY’S FJORDS

‘Fancy a visit to the Norwegian fjords? Well, save yourself some cash and head to Wester Ross, which offers the fjord-like delights of little-known Loch Torridon,’ says Rough Guides.

It adds that tourists will find ‘clear cobalt-blue waters’ and stunning mountains that ‘tower over 1,000m high’ on a trip to the sea loch, which lies by the small village of Torridon in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.

Loch Torridon also plays host to a bounty of marine life including dolphins, seals and even whales as you get closer to the sea, the guide adds. 

LONDON’S WEST END… VS NEW YORK’S BROADWAY

If a trip to the Big Apple to see a Broadway show is off the cards, consider picking up tickets to one of the incredible shows in London’s West End.  

There are currently 41 theatre operations on Broadway, according to Broadway.org, compared to a close 39 in the West End, which boasts iconic venues including the Prince Edward Theatre in Soho and the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Many on-stage hits can be seen in both cities, including Wicked, The Lion King and Frozen the Musical, to name a few.

If you want to live out the New York theme to the fullest, enjoy a Manhattan cocktail at a speakeasy bar in London’s Soho neighbourhood before the show.

BIRMINGHAM… VS VENICE, ITALY

Often referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’, Birmingham is a staycation option for those whose budget doesn’t quite stretch to a trip to Italy’s ‘Floating City’.

Birmingham boasts 35 miles’ (56km) worth of canals – even more than can be found in Venice, Birmingham City Council notes. 

Alternatively, if you’re dreaming of taking a gondola ride, why not try your hand at punting – Britain’s answer to gondolas – along the River Cam in Cambridge?

Or explore the Cotswolds’ answer to Venice – Bourton-on-the-Water, which is so picturesque that the local website has been forced to remind visitors that the village ‘is not a theme park’ and does not have an entry fee. 

HENRHYD FALLS IN WALES… VS MADAKARIPURA WATERFALL IN INDONESIA

Wales has a spectacular rival for one of Indonesia’s stunning natural landmarks.  

At a glance, it’s easy to mistake Henrhyd Falls in Wales for Madakaripura Waterfall, which lies on the tropical island of Java.

Both waterfalls lie at the end of a short trek with rocky paths, river crossings and beautiful scenery, as these pictures show.

Visitors can also stand behind each of the falls, which are hailed for their height. Henrhyd Falls is the tallest in South Wales at 90ft (27m), The National Trust reveals. However, Madakaripura Waterfall in Indonesia is more than seven times higher, reaching up to 656ft (200m), Indonesia Tourism notes. 

DURDLE DOOR IN DORSET… VS PORTUGAL’S ALGARVE

The Algarve is known for its rugged cliffs and beautiful sandy coves but if Portugal is out of reach, Durdle Door in Dorset is a stunning alternative for Britons. 

Pictures show how this ‘iconic’ rock formation bears a striking resemblance to the rocky beaches near Lagos town in the Algarve. 

Travellers on Tripadvisor agree, with ‘AmyT’ commenting: ‘Reminded me of the Algarve in Portugal. The rocks protruding out of the sea were so pretty you would forget you’re still in England, apart from the clouds, and [they] reminded me of a trip to Portugal.’

HERTFORDSHIRE, KENT, NORFOLK, AND WORCESTERSHIRE… VS PROVENCE IN FRANCE 

France’s Provence is famed for its lavender fields, which bloom from June to August, transforming swathes of the southern region into a sea of purple.

But you can find the same colourful landscape at several lavender farms in the UK, including Cotswold Lavender near the village of Snowshill in Worcestershire, Castle Farm in Kent, Norfolk Lavender near Heacham in Norfolk, and Hitchin Lavender in Hertfordshire.  

The website for Hitchin Lavender says: ‘Situated on the gentle rolling slopes of Wilbury Hills, our farm has become synonymous with stunning countryside views and relaxing walks, making it a much-loved landmark of North Hertfordshire.’

Commenting on Tripadvisor, ‘cobwebs00’ described it as ‘a little bit of Provence in Hertfordshire’. 

Continue your Provence-themed staycation with a trip to Bath in Somerset which is often likened to the French city of Aix-en-Provence for its ancient Roman baths and golden stone buildings. The similarities between the two cities ‘resulted in an official twinning link [being] established in September 1972’, the Mayor of Bath reveals. 

THE ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND… VS ICELAND 

Iceland has a dramatic mountainous landscape festooned with waterfalls – over 10,000 in total.

British holidaymakers looking to save money can catch a similar vibe on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, which also boasts a dramatic, mountainous landscape, and breathtaking water features to rival those found in Iceland. For example, Skye’s Fairy Pools are an eye-catching staycation stand-in for Iceland’s Godafoss waterfall, as the pictures above show.

The island’s Talisker Bay has also been compared to the dramatic beaches of Iceland, with local photographer Melvin Nicholson noting that the beach ‘is as Icelandic as the Isle of Skye gets… it’s almost a cloned copy of Vik [a coastal village] in Iceland’. 

BRIGHTON’S ROYAL PAVILION… VS INDIA’S TAJ MAHAL 

Brighton’s Royal Pavilion bears an uncanny resemblance to one of the seven wonders of the world, India’s Taj Mahal, as these pictures show.

The Royal Pavilion is ‘a remarkable testament to the wide-ranging decorative tastes of George IV’ who acquired the site in 1786, the Royal Collection Trust says. 

His taste ‘was in a constant state of transformation’ so he ‘enhanced’ the Pavilion, the website notes, adding: ‘The exterior was transformed by the addition of Indian-inspired domes and minarets.’

As reviewer ‘Nancy T’ wrote on Tripadvisor: ‘Wow! It really is like seeing the Taj Mahal in Brighton.’  

THE DARK HEDGES IN ANTRIM… VS NEW ZEALAND’S RATA FOREST 

Both famed for their twisting trees, The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland could be easily mistaken for New Zealand’s Rata Forest. 

The former was planted in County Antrim in the 18th century and ‘has become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland’, the local tourist board reveals. 

Game of Thrones fans might recognise the avenue of trees as it was used as a filming location for ‘Kingsroad’ in the hit fantasy series. 

THAILAND’S WAT BENJAMABORPHIT TEMPLE VS LONDON’S BUDDHAPADIPA TEMPLE 

It would be easy to trick your friends into believing you had just stepped off a plane in Bangkok with a selfie outside London’s Buddhapadipa Temple.

The elaborate building is ‘the first Thai Theravada Buddhist Temple ever built outside Asia’, says Tripadvisor.

These pictures show its striking similarity to Thailand’s Wat Benjamaborphit Temple in Bangkok, from its red tiled roof with a golden trim to its bright white columns.

Tripadvisor reviewer Jason Tsang described it as a ‘little bit of Thailand in London’. 

ODEON OF HERODES ATTICUS THEATRE IN ATHENS VS MINACK THEATRE IN CORNWALL 

The Greek capital, Athens, is world-renowned for its ancient ruins, with the historic Acropolis citadel the defining feature of the city. Sitting on the southwest slope of the Acropolis lies the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a magnificent Roman theatre that dates back to AD 161.

But to visit a spectacular outdoor theatre closer to home, look to the Minack Theatre, built into a cliff near the Cornish seaside village of Porthcurno.

The theatre, built in 1930 by the artist Rowena Cade, will host a series of alfresco performances and storytelling sessions this summer, the website reveals.
 

King Charles’s first trip abroad since being crowned will be a walking holiday in the Transylvanian countryside that inspired Dracula.

The 74-year-old King will fly out to Romania, where he owns at least ten properties, next month and will not be accompanied by Queen Camilla.

It has become an annual trip that Charles takes to walk through the picturesque hills and paint near his holiday home Viscari.

The guest homes owned by the King have no televisions or radios in any of the rooms, just books, so the Monarch will likely get some much needed rest when he is away.

While it the trip is mainly for a short holiday, President Klaud Iohannis will officially welcome Charles at his residence Cortroceni Palace, near Bucharest, The Sun reports. 

In the past he has spoken fondly of the country and his time in the Carpathian Mountains saying the land is ‘in his blood’.

He said during his visit last June: ‘There is a sense of age-old continuity here. A virtuous circle where man and nature are in balance.’ 

Charles has familial ties with Transylvania, thought to be a descendent of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula, who claimed to have killed 23,000 people during battles against the Ottoman Empire. 

The real-life Dracula’s name is said to have given inspiration for Bram Stoker’s renowned vampire book.

The monarch’s maternal great-great-great grandmother, Klaudia Rhedey, was also born and brought up in the region.

Hungarian-speaking Klaudia then went on to marry German royalty and was known as the Princess of Teck. Her granddaughter Queen Mary of Teck was wife to George V and Charles’s great grandmother. 

Charles bought his estate in Valea Zalanului, Szeklerland, in the 1990s and now rents it out as a nature retreat to those wanting to explore the Zalán Valley and the surrounding mountains.

The guest house is situated near to the village of Viscri, surrounded by the The 400-year-old cottages have been decorated with traditional antique Transylvanian furniture, and textiles.

There are no televisions or radios in any of the rooms, just books, with guests are expected to dine together.

There are daily activities departing from the guest house, including horse riding, walks through a wildflower meadow named after Prince George and trips to the nearby mineral pools.

The King has paid numerous visits, setting up the Prince of Wales Foundation Romania to support the development of farming, traditional skills and the preservation of historic buildings through training.

Prices range from around £100 to £300 a night depending on the size of room and whether or not guests have chosen full or half-board.

Last week, following the busy events of the Coronation, Chares and Camilla relaxed together at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk for a few days.

The new monarchs will take an official trip to Kenya later this year, with their postponed trip to France expected to be arranged for the summer. 

In February the King cancelled his annual lavish ski trip with friends for the first time in 45 years.

Charles has taken a skiing trip to Klosters in Switzerland almost every February or March but skipped on the trip this year to make sure he was ready for his Coronation that took place on May 6.

Camilla ‘took private jets to join Charles on secret foreign trysts’: King’s former personal pilot claims the pair had secret rendezvous when the then prince was on official overseas visits

• The romantic trysts are disclosed by Squadron Leader Graham Laurie
• He said: ‘They were getting together overseas but the Press didn’t cotton on’ 

By Ian Gallagher

Published: 17:00 EDT, 29 April 2023 | Updated: 05:07 EDT, 30 April 2023