The reputation of Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, has been threatened by a new scandal after he received a briefcase containing 1 million euros in cash from a controversial Qatari politician. It was the first million euros from the first three million euro donation Qatari Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim al Thani allocated to the charitable organization of the heir and his Scottish court.
Charity Commission, the organization that monitors donations to charities in the United Kingdom, announced that it is reviewing information on aid and donations for the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation. Clarence House, the palace where the British heirs reside, has ensured that cash donations to charity are allowed and that the process is “right”.
“They were immediately handed over to one of the prince’s charities, which carried out the proper process,” a spokesman said. According to the trust fund controller, the donation is legal and cash “is the form chosen by the donor”.
The money was deposited in Coutts’ bank account, in one of the accounts The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Pleasured, an entity that subsidizes the private projects of his Scottish prince and court.
According to The Sunday Times, Sheikh Hamad, 62, handed the prince €1 million, which he allegedly put in a Fortnum & Mason bag, a traditional English warehouse in front of the Ritz hotel, which has a “warrant” from the Royal House to provide the prince with groceries and tea.
After the heir to the throne received the briefcase, he handed it over to the two royal advisers, who counted the money by hand. It was a 500 euro note, a denomination nicknamed “bin Laden” because of its connection to the financing of terrorism, and has since been discontinued.
The palace maids then asked Coutts, royal bank, take the money. The private bank, which is based on the Strand in central London and has served the royal family for centuries, is believed to have recovered the suitcase from Charles’ London residence.
Each payment is deposited into the account of the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund (PWCF), a low-profile grant-making entity that funds the prince’s pet projects and his Scottish estate. There is no suggestion that the payments are illegal.
The prince’s meeting with Sheikh Hamad did not appear in the Court Circular, a list of official commitments made by nobles who work daily for the Crown. Carlos visited Qatar repeatedly after receiving cash, including during Sheikh Hamad’s tenure. The royal gift policy states that members of the royal family can receive “checks” from sponsors or on behalf of charities. It didn’t say anything about cash.
British politics also probes ‘cash for access’ culture at Clarence House, the prince’s house, including the sale of honor. Last year, Michael FawcettCarlos’ former butler and close confidant, arranges an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for a Saudi billionaire.
This “donation” was uncomfortable for the House of Windsor, as it was going through one of the worst crises in its history. Prince Andrew was barred from the Royal Family by the decision of Prince Charles and his son William over his involvement in the Epstein affair, despite the court’s agreement with the alleged victim. They didn’t let him come back.
The crisis between her and her son, Prince Harry, who accuses her of not paying for her departure, even though she had promised to do so, after removing all honorary positions because she left the Royal Family, has not been resolved. Harry also mentioned that he had turned down offers of donations from Saudi businessmen.accused of offering money in exchange for honor, because they seemed suspicious of him.
Prince Charles has waited his whole life to succeed his mother. The queen has mobility issues and she behaves like a ceremonial guardian, with great decision-making power.
The question is whether, faced with this repeated operation of dubious donations, the heir has the capacity not to risk the future of this traditional monarchy, namely the House of Windsor, whose mother has ruled impeccably for 70 years. Will succession jump to Prince William? Another nightmare of abdication for the crown?
Sheikh Hamad served as Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister between 2007 and 2013. During that time, he controlled the nation’s $250 billion wealth fund and oversaw the Gulf nation’s high-profile investments in Harrods, Shard and London’s Olympic Village.
He also developed close ties to the British aristocrats. Qatar gave Charles £147,000 a horse called Dark Swan and contributed to the maintenance of one of his castles in Scotland. It Sheikh Hamad, whose personal fortune was once estimated at $12 billion, continues to spend several months of the year in England, a kingdom that considers its second home.|
