Prince Charles has jeopardised his reign. amoneyccepting

It is the scale of the cash donation that causes the controversy. Loose change into a collection box or a tenner from your neighbour doesn't equate with the sum that the sheik gave to Charles. Still, the RF are lauded for their contribution to charities so who am I to question how they get the donations. I expect that the sheik was concerned by the plight of young people in the UK and wanted to help Charles continue his good work. At least Clarence House are not denying that the cash was accepted.

I don’t understand why anyone would think this isn’t a problem. All that huge amount of money has been donated for a reason. Sheiks don’t care a jot about human rights in their own countries. How many of the Arab states have cruel and degrading treatment such as public executions as part of their culture? Why would they therefore want to support something such as The Princes Trust? Obviously they think there’s something in it for them. How can anyone reasonably think that these actions are totally altruistic? It’s simply unbelievable, based on the record of the behaviour of these states. It’s only recently that we heard of the attempt of one sheik to buy a knighthood in this country. And who was he trying to bribe, yes it was, Prince Charles!

The donor was a sheikh, whose view of "giving money to a royal charity" may have been rather biased by the custom in his own sheikhdom. Paper money in a suitcase could be the normal method there, with no questions asked about how much of it reaches the charity and how much mysteriously vanishes on the way.

The charity received it, and presumably counted it (with witnesses) and put it through the accounts as a donation from the Sheikh under that day's date.

Is anyone suggesting that less arrived at the charity office than were handed to Prince Charles or his representative? Who physically carried the (rather heavy) suitcase to the charity? Who counted the notes? Has the sheikh claimed that he expected to receive a knighthood in return for his generosity - and was he disappointed? Does his name appear in the honours lists? Who was PM when this cash-for-honours story is set, since the honours list is compiled by the PM to be signed off by the monarch. What is Fawcett's story, and why is he referred to as a dodgy character?

We are getting a rather sketchy account of the affair. More details and some confirmations are needed. An independent enquiry would clarify the murk.

Obviously they think there’s something in it for them. How can anyone reasonably think that these actions are totally altruistic?

Yes to several points and if it's an OBE or an honorary knighthood then it devalues that system too.

However, perhaps in their eagerness to help disadvantaged youngsters in this country start to make something better of their lives, these misgivings were shoved under the carpet.

It is old news and was reported at the time so I'm confused as to why it's hit the headlines now.
Something else is afoot.
Couldn't be anything to do with Boris and Rwanda, could it?

Elegran

It is very interesting that there is currently a rash of articles, TV progs etc throwing shit in the direction of the RF. Some of it has obvious roots, some appears to have been dug up from antiquity and embellished, and presented gleefully by the hungry media. Lots of rumour, lots of spin.

Could the "revelations" have some connection with the possible imminence of a change of monarch? Could the sources be republican and/or political? Could our illustrious PM have a finger in the pie?

What! our wonderful, honest, straight forward, financially independent PM involved in skulduggery!!! King of the World - why not? Let’s put it this way, would you buy a used car from Prince Charles or Johnson? Personally, I trust Prince Charles and what’s more he is involved with charity and trying to help people who really need a leg up. Whereas Johnson appears to only want to help himself.

Could our illustrious PM have a finger in the pie?

Prince Charles has just annoyed Boris about the relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda - surely not a coincidence that this old story has just emerged?

PC gave Boris the sh*ts and perhaps he caught it and redirected it towards the fan?

2011 and 2015 , no knighthood yet

I’ve been reading Tina Brown and Cosmopolitan again which make the claim about toothpaste amongst other foibles, hence my tongue in cheek remark.

Perhaps it is back in the news with so many sleaze stories abounding and the fact it is Qatar money where the next World Cup is due to take place. Think back to the brown envelopes allegedly slipped to Sepp Blatter who had to resign as head of FIFA. Think of Neville and our footballers currently protesting about playing in Qatar with it’s lack of human rights especially for women and non heterosexuals.

The problem isn’t Prince Charles, the problem is where the money came from, who gave it, and the big question, why? Why would those who rule over a culture that executes and exploits their own population care a jot about the good works of Prince Charles in this country? So what do the donators want from the UK/Prince Charles? If they were worried about the poor situation of some people they could very easily start their charitable works at home.

The toothpaste story has some truth, it was done when Charles
broke his arm

The toothpaste story is a red herring. We need to be worried about why the money was given. It doesn’t matter what kind of a bag it was in. It matters that it was given at all.

maddyone

The toothpaste story is a red herring. We need to be worried about why the money was given. It doesn’t matter what kind of a bag it was in. It matters that it was given at all.

In which case, you need to investigate Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. to see if he appears to have gained any advantage from it.

Here's the wikipedia page about him for starters.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamad_bin_Jassim_bin_Jaber_Al_Thani

Why has this hit the headlines after 11 years and 7 years

1. The Queen has failing health

2. Boris is in manure

Alternatively...

Why have we never been told about this before...?

Anniebach

Why has this hit the headlines after 11 years and 7 years

1. The Queen has failing health

2. Boris is in manure

3. Qatar are hosting the Football World Cup in November/December this year.

This was approved by FIFA in 2010. At the time Qatar we’re accused of bribing FIFA officials to the tune of £3million, but we’re cleared after a 2 year investigation.

Is Charles into football ?

Anniebach

Is Charles into football ?

Prince William is. He joined in supporting England’s bid to host the World Cup with David Beckham and I believe David Cameron. William is a life long supporter of Aston Villa and he became President of the FA in 2008 taking over from Prince Andrew.

My husband has done quite a lot of business in the Middle East. He says its perfectly normal there for business to be done in cash and suitcases full of money wouldn’t cause eyebrows to be raised.
How ‘strange’ that this has been stirred up now, years later.

People thinking that Charles is a paragon of virtue when it comes to behaving with probity - well not this "people"!!!

His behaviour towards Diana lacked probity, decency, human kindness.... - you name it! I have no time for him.

LuckyGirl13 try being a Duchy tenant or live near Duchy lands to experience true hypocrisy.

Letter to the charity commission

The letter sets out a number of questions Republic believes need to be answered, including:

While the charity knows that the donation came from Sheikh Hamad, do they (and how can they) know where the money originated?
How can the charity be satisfied that they are not being used for the purposes of money laundering, given the lack of transparency about the origin of the cash?
Given Prince Charles, Michael Fawcett and the Prince’s Foundation are being investigated regarding the apparent promise of honours in exchange for charitable donations, can the charity be sure that similar promises haven’t been made in connection with these or other donations?
Has the charity confirmed that no other large cash donations have been offered or accepted?
You’ll be aware that Sheikh Hamad is a former prime minister of Qatar, a country with a dreadful record on human rights and democracy. Is the Commission satisfied that the donations in question do not damage the reputation of the charity and the wider charity sector?
The Sunday Times report quoted one trustee as saying they were not aware of the donations, despite the legal obligation of trustees to ensure good financial management of the charity and to protect the charity’s reputation. This raises questions about the charity’s practices and the relationship between the charity and Prince Charles. Charities are required to be independent, with trustees being responsible for their governance and financial probity. Charles is neither a trustee nor an employee of the charity, yet appears to be able to facilitate a questionable donation without the knowledge of at least one of their seven trustees.
The report also says the charity provides funds for the upkeep of one of Charles’s estates in Scotland. This raises obvious questions about conflict of interest and personal gain by Charles and why the charity is spending its money on someone’s private estate.
The letter calls on the Charity Commission to discharge its duties in this case just as they would with any other charity, without fear or favour and with no concern for the charity’s connections to Prince Charles.

Not just Republic Grany.

Thanks for the link Maizie. It seems he is an interesting man, and by no means whiter than white with regard to money.
Good post Grany.

I want to think well of him but...!!! I provided my DD with a house deposit. Had to provide fully documented proof of the origins of all the savings going back something like 30 - 40 years. And this was just small money very slowly put away and interest added. I'm dumbfounded that he (and his advisers/minders) somehow don't have any idea that we have money laundering laws.

Germanshepherdsmum

My husband has done quite a lot of business in the Middle East. He says its perfectly normal there for business to be done in cash and suitcases full of money wouldn’t cause eyebrows to be raised.
How ‘strange’ that this has been stirred up now, years later.

He has learned to deal with all sorts of cultures and this one, as you say, lives by different mores to ours. He has been "treated" to worse gifts so a donation to his charity must have been a nice change. There is no evidence of wrongdoing but our comic press still thinks if the bread is a bit on the thin side then we need circuses.

I wonder if this would have been better in "Chat" with all the others of its type. I, and I guess others, will give a wide berth to those, just as some do with the politics threads.