Met Police launches ‘cash for honours’ probe into Prince Charles’ former right hand man
New Royal scandal: Met Police launches ‘cash for honours’ investigation into Prince Charles’ charity over claims that close aide Michael Fawcett offered to help Saudi billionaire donor get knighthood and UK citizenship
Michael Fawcett resigned as foundation’s chief executive after string of claims he helped with honoursHe allegedly promised to help get a knighthood and UK citizenship for donor to Prince Charles’ causesPrince Charles is said to be willing to speak to detectives over the allegations, which emerged last yearClarence House said Charles had ‘no knowledge’ of cash for honours scandal relating to his charityMet Police acted after letter from a former MP and an anti-monarchy group reporting Charles and Mr FawcettThe two notes said they thought police should investigate both on suspicion of breaching Honours Act 1925
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The Queen was today facing fresh heartbreak in her platinum jubilee year – after the Met Police opened a criminal investigation into Prince Charles‘s charity.
Just hours after Prince Andrew left the Royals mired in scandal with a murky £12million settlement with a victim of one of his paedophile friends, the new probe was announced.
The Met’s ‘cash for honours’ investigation looking how a Saudi billionaire donor got a knighthood and UK citizenship looks to heap further embarrassment onto the Firm.
Charles – who had urged Andrew to settle with Virginia Roberts for the sake of the family – is certain to be involved in the probe, which is also looking into his former aide Michael Fawcett.
Clarence House has already said he would assist, but the worry will be exactly what details Fawcett, for years a trusted ally, could disclose under pressure. They have denied he knew anything about the allegations being investigated.
He stepped down in October amid claims he promised to help secure a CBE and British citizenship for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz – a donor to the Prince’s Foundation.
It was alleged that he paid thousands of pounds to ‘fixers’ with links to the prince who said they could secure him an honour in return for donations.
The criminal investigation piles more pressure onto the Queen on what should have been one of the proudest years of her reign.
Now after a Met special advisory team has assessed documents the force has launched an investigation into the Fawcett allegations of offences under the Honours Act.
It said it had acted after receiving letters in September – one believed to be from former Lib Dem MP Norman Baker – urging them to look into the claims.
Another from anti-monarchy pressure group Republic reported both the future king and Mr Fawcett on suspicion of breaching the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.
Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, pictured meeting Prince Charles, is one of Britain’s most generous benefactors
Mr Fawcett (pictured) allegedly helped fix a CBE and British citizenship for billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, who donated more than £1.5 million to royal charities
Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience at Windsor Castle when she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries earlier today
Prince Andrew left the Royals mired in scandal with a murky £12million settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a victim of one of his friends, the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein
Clarence House today stressed Charles had ‘no knowledge’ on allegations of offers of honours ‘on the basis of donation to his charities’.
The Prince’s spokespeople have previously said he would ‘of course’ be willing to assist any enquiry from the authorities.
A Met statement said: ‘The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.
‘The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information.
‘Officers liaised with The Prince’s Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The Foundation provided a number of relevant documents.
‘These documents were reviewed alongside existing information.
‘The assessment determined an investigation will commence.
‘There have been no arrests or interviews under caution.’
A probe last year concluded that Mr Fawcett did co-ordinate with ‘fixers’ over honours nominations for Mahfouz, who has donated more than £1.5 million to royal charities.
The Prince of Wales, 73, has insisted he had ‘no knowledge’ of the alleged deal, but he could still prove to be a vital witness, as he held private meetings with Dr Mahfouz at the British embassy in Saudi Arabia, in London and Scotland.
Mr Fawcett and Prince Charles have been allies for years and go back decades together in the Royal Family and its traditions
Michael Fawcett, for years a trusted ally of Prince Charles (pictured together in 2019) and former chief executive, resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation earlier this month
Clarence House has previously said Charles would ‘of course’ be willing to assist Scotland Yard detectives if asked to do so.
Dr Mahfouz received his CBE during a private ceremony at Clarence House in 2016.
A probe into fundraising practices was ordered by the Prince’s Foundation and carried out independently by auditing firm Ernst & Young.
Its conclusion found that Mr Fawcett co-ordinated with ‘fixers’ over honours nominations for a Saudi billionaire donor to the foundation.
Mr Fawcett was also involved in directing money from the donor’s foundation to another charity of which Charles was patron, it was revealed.
Last year Dame Sue Bruce, chair of the Prince’s Foundation, described the recent crises surrounding the future king’s charitable organisation as a ‘difficult chapter’, but said ‘lessons will be learned’ to ensure the charity acts with the ‘utmost integrity and probity’.
A letter also emerged, written by Mr Fawcett to Dr Mahfouz in 2017, in which he said the Prince’s Foundation would be ‘happy and willing’ to use its influence to help him.
Mr Fawcett was Charles’s most indispensable aide over the decades, with the prince once saying: ‘I can manage without just about anyone, except for Michael.’
A probe concluded that Mr Fawcett (pictured) did co-ordinate with ‘fixers’ over honours nominations for Mahfouz, who has donated more than £1.5 million to royal charities
The letters from Republic and a former MP Norman Baker reported Charles and Fawcett on suspicion of Honours Act breach
The former royal valet quit twice before, including in 2003 when, as Charles’s personal assistant, he was accused and cleared by an inquiry of selling royal gifts, but was revealed to have accepted valuable gifts from outsiders.
Ex-Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has previously written to the Metropolitan Police asking them to launch a criminal investigation into the cash for honours claims.
Dame Sue Bruce, chair of the Prince’s Foundation, described the recent crises surrounding the future king’s charitable organisation as a ‘difficult chapter’
Dame Cressida Dick said the Metropolitan Police had made ‘initial inquiries’ after receiving a letter regarding Michael Fawcett, who resigned as the Prince’s Foundation’s chief executive after a string of allegations.
Asked for an update during an LBC radio phone-in on Friday, Dame Cressida said: ‘We have received a letter, as you say, we have been making some initial inquiries.
‘We have not launched an investigation.
‘If people out there have further material for us we will of course look at that, if there’s further evidence.
‘But at this stage, having considered the letter, made some initial inquiries and examined relevant legislation, some of which is in 1925 and some of which is the new bribery act, we have not launched an investigation.’
Clarence House today referred to a previous statement on the matter.
It read: ‘The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.’
A spokesperson for The Prince’s Foundation said: ‘It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.’
In December Fawcett left roles at four more businesses associated with the future King.
Accounts registered with Companies House show that Mr Fawcett, who resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation in November, has stepped down from businesses linked to Dumfries House, the Palladian mansion in Ayrshire bought by Charles in 2007.
As well as quitting Dumfries House Trust Trading Limited and Dumfries House Home Farm Ltd, he has left Dumfries Farming & Land, which bought land at Knockroon to help fund the £20 million purchase of nearby Dumfries House as a gift to the nation.
Mr Fawcett has also stepped back from his role as ‘events manager’ at A G Carrick, the retail arm of Highgrove, which is named after the pseudonym which Charles uses on his watercolour paintings.
