It’s hard to imagine a worse time for a litany of scandals involving Prince Charles to come to light.
In the past few months, he’s been linked to three devastating allegations of money being accepted through his office – all at a time he’s on the precipice of becoming king after 73 years.
Last week, he was accused of accepting cash from terrorist Osama bin Laden’s brother, on top of recent accusations he took a suitcase full of cash from a Qatari sheik between 2011 and 2015.
There is no suggestion bin Laden’s brother has sponsored or been involved in acts of terrorism.
In the past few months, Charles (left) has been linked to three devastating allegations.
(Image: Getty)
Following the former allegations, the chairman of the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation (PWCF), Sir Ian Cheshire, responded with a statement.
“The donation from (bin Laden’s brother) in 2013 was carefully considered by PWCF Trustees at the time,” he said.
“Due diligence was conducted, with information sought from a wide range of sources, including government. The decision to accept the donation was taken wholly by the Trustees.
“Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate.”
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With regards to the recent accusations surrounding Charles and the Qatari sheik, Clarence House told CNN that the charitable donations “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”.
SUSPICIOUS TIMING
In November, Charles’ longtime right-hand man Michael Fawcett was forced to resign amid allegations concerning a cash-for-honours debacle in which he’s alleged to have offered a Saudi businessman British citizenship and a title – which was conferred in 2016 – in exchange for donations to The Prince’s Foundation.
At the time, a Clarence House spokesperson said Prince Charles had “no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities”.
Regardless, insiders say the heir is scratching his head over why all these stories are coming out now!
While the prince “hates to admit it”, insiders reveal the only person that has it so publicly in for him is Harry (right).
(Image: Getty)“Charles is a paranoid fellow at the best of times, but there’s no denying there could be truth to his fears that someone is leaking these stories to ruin his reign,” says a source.
While the prince “hates to admit it”, insiders reveal Harry’s upcoming memoir couldn’t come at a worse time.
Indeed, his youngest son, 37, has “light fingerprints” on the Fawcett scandal, and recently announced he had “expressed concerns” about Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz’s motives in 2015 after he attempted to donate millions to the prince’s Sentebale charity.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry previously said he severed ties with Dr Bin Mahfouz in 2015 due to “concerns over his motives”.
Mahfouz denies any wrongdoing.
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BLAME GAME
The relationship between Harry and Charles is certainly floundering, with recent reports revealing Harry’s plans to meet with his father earlier this year were cut short after he failed to offer Charles any insight into his upcoming memoir.
While palace aides attempt to diffuse Charles’ concerns, Woman’s Day understands he remains worried that his son, who has a history of courting the media, might add fuel to the fire following widespread leaks surrounding his missteps.
“Charles fears this is just the tip of the iceberg of bad press. When Harry’s memoir comes out at Christmas, he expects to be firmly in the firing line.”
