Lump sum of cash from a former Qatari prime minister has raised eyebrows
Environment Secretary George Eustice has said reports Prince Charles received millions in donations from a former Qatari prime minister were “a bit unusual”.
Speaking on LBC Radio he said: “My understanding is this was immediately passed on to the charity, declared and checked in the usual way. On one level of course it’s a bit unusual to have such a large amount of cash.”
On Sunday, Clarence House maintained that the “correct processes were followed” when the Prince accepted a suitcase containing €1million from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar.
They said donations were passed immediately to one of the prince’s charities and there was no suggestion the payments were illegal.
The allegations first surfaced in the Sunday Times, who reported Prince Charles received three cash donations in person from the former prime minister between 2011 and 2015.
It is understood that one payment was handed over in a suitcase during a meeting at Clarence House. Another load of cash was reportedly contained in carrier bags from the department store Fortnum and Mason.
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said: “We are aware of reports about donations received by The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund. We will review the information to determine whether there is any role for the commission in this matter.”
It is yet to decide whether it should investigate the donations.
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