Police investigate Prince Charles
Prince Charles says he would be “happy” to help Metropolitan Police in their investigation of him and a former close confidant after they were reported to police by anti-monarchists.
Anti-monarchy group Republic made a formal complaint against the Prince of Wales and Michael Fawcett, Charles’ former valet after several newspaper articles alleged a donor to The Prince’s Foundation was offered help securing a knighthood.
At the time, Clarence House said Charles had “no knowledge” of the alleged cash-for-honours scandal, and Mr Fawcett also resigned as chief executive of the foundation.
This week, the Metropolitan Police announced there was reason enough to launch an investigation into the scandal - but the news comes just days after Dame Cressida Dick resigned from her role as commissioner.
“His Royal Highness is happy to help if asked. He has not been,” a source said about the investigation into Charles.
Mr Fawcett has been accused of promising to help Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, a Saudi billionaire, to achieve British citizenship and a knighthood in exchange for donations to the charity.
Republic reported Charles and Mr Fawcett to Scotland Yard on suspicion of breaching the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 in September last year.
Ex-Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker also called on the Met to investigate the allegations made against Mr Fawcett.
The complaints came after the Daily Mail published a letter Mr Fawcett reportedly wrote in 2017, in which he said he was willing to make an application to change Mr Mahfouz’s honorary CBE to a knighthood and support his application for citizenship.
The letter to Mr Mahfouz’s aide, written on headed notepaper in Mr Fawcett’s capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, read: “In light of the ongoing and most recent generosity of his Excellency … I am happy to confirm to you, in confidence, that we are willing and happy to support and contribute to the application for Citizenship.
“I can further confirm that we are willing to make [an] application to increase His Excellency’s honour from Honorary CBE to that of KBE in accordance with Her Majesty’s Honours Committee.”
It said the application would be made in response to “the most recent and anticipated support” of the trust.
Mr Mahfouz reportedly donated large sums to restoration projects that were of particular interest to Charles, but has denied any wrongdoing on his part.
The Prince’s Foundation commissioned an investigation into the claims, which found evidence of Mr Fawcett’s “communications and coordination” with “so-called ‘fixers’ regarding honorary nominations for a donor between 2014-18”.
After police reviewed the independent investigation, Scotland Yard said they “determined an investigation will commence”.
No arrests or interviews under caution have been made so far, it added.
Following the announcement of the investigation, Clarence House reiterated its previous statement: “The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.”
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