A royal insider maintained yesterday that the Prince of Wales would never again accept bags filled with cash.
Charles has come under fire after it was revealed that he collected charity contributions from a former Qatari prime minister that allegedly totaled £2.5 million and included some in a bag.
However, a royal source said that no such occurrences have occurred in the previous five years, adding, “That was then, and this is today.”
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim reportedly gave the prince funds for his charity, the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF), between 2011 and 2015.
According to the source, the funds were “immediately handed to his [Charles’] charities, and it was his charities that opted to take the funds – that is a decision for them.” And they did so, verifying that it adhered to all necessary procedures. Auditors examined it. The Prince of Wales follows recommendations. Over time, situations and settings change.
The insider said, “This has not happened for more than half a decade, given the situation as it has grown, and it would not happen again.”
A story in The Sunday Times said that on one occasion, around £900,000 was purportedly delivered in carrier bags from Fortnum & Mason, a high-end retailer.
The sheikh allegedly presented the prince £850,000 in a hold all at a separate private encounter they had in 2015 at Clarence House.
The PWCF gives funds to UK-registered non-profit organizations to carry out initiatives in the UK, the Commonwealth, and abroad. The PWCF was established in 1979 with the purpose of improving lives and developing sustainable communities.
The current inquiries follow the Metropolitan Police’s opening of a probe into claims of cash-for-honors involving Michael Fawcett, a former close associate of the Prince of Wales.
A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘Charitable donations received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were passed immediately to one of the prince’s charities who carried out the appropriate governance and have assured us that all the correct processes were followed.’
