The Prince of Wales accepted a £1 million payment from the family of Osama Bin Ladenit has been reported.
The Sunday Times said Charles secured money from Bakr bin Laden, the patriarch of the wealthy Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq, who are both half-brothers of the former al-Qaeda leader.
Clarence House strongly disputes many of the claims, saying the decision to accept the donation to its charity, the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF), was made solely by trustees.
It was reported that Charles, 73, had a private meeting with Bakr, 76, at Clarence House in… London on October 30, 2013, two years after Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Pakistan.
He agreed to the donation despite objections from advisers from Clarence House and the PWCF, where the money was deposited, the paper said.
It was also said that several advisers personally begged the prince to return the money and that one of his household staff told him it “would not be good for anyone”.
Clarence House disputed many of the claims and Sir Ian Cheshire, chairman of PWCF, said the donation had been “fully approved” by the five trustees at the time.
Founded in 1979 with a mission to change lives and build sustainable communities, the charity awards grants to UK registered non-profit organizations to implement projects in the UK, Commonwealth and abroad.
Clarence House said: “The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund has assured us that a thorough investigation has gone into accepting this donation.
“The decision to accept was only made by the trustees of the charity and any attempt to characterize it otherwise is false.”
Sir Ian said: “Sheikh Bakr bin Laden’s endowment in 2013 was carefully considered by PWCF administrators at the time.
“A due diligence has been conducted, seeking information from a wide range of sources, including the government.
“The decision to accept the donation was made entirely by the trustees. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate.”
It comes after the metropolitan police An investigation into an alleged cash-for-honours scandal began in February after Charles and his former close confidante, Michael Fawcett, were reported on the claims.
Fawcett was accused of promising to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire donor to another of Charles’s charities, The Prince’s Foundation.
Clarence House said the prince had “no knowledge” of the alleged cash-for-honours scandal.