Police investigating Prince Charles’ charity
London’s Metropolitan Police has announced an investigation into media allegations that one of Prince Charles’ charities offered a Saudi businessman honors and citizenship in exchange for lavish donations.
According to a report by the Sunday Times in September, Saudi Arabian billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz was knighted in 2016 with the assistance of Charles’ aides after giving money to projects supported by the eldest son and heir of Queen Elizabeth II.
Those revelations had prompted Michael Fawcett, a close aide to the prince for decades, to resign as head of The Prince's Foundation in November.
The Met said in a statement on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into alleged offences under the Honors (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 after its Special Enquiry Team carried out an earlier assessment “which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information.”
We have launched an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. Decision follows an assessment of a Sep 2021 letter, related to media reporting alleging offers of help made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 16, 2022
The police force said it had already contacted The Prince’s Foundation in light of that assessment, and the organization has furnished “a number of relevant documents.” There have been no arrests or interviews under caution as part of the investigation, the statement added.
Responding to reports of the investigation, a spokesperson for the senior royal said the “Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.”
Clarence House – Charles’ official royal residence – said earlier that it would “of course” be willing to assist any inquiry carried out by police.
News of the investigation came a day after the queen’s second son, Charles’ brother Prince Andrew, had agreed a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre over her lawsuit. Giuffre had accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.
