U.K. police detectives launched an investigation into Prince Charles’ charity, which has been rocked by cash-for-honors allegations that surfaced last fall. The Prince’s Foundation was accused of taking donations in exchange for getting a Saudi businessman official honors and British citizenship. The allegations emerged in September 2021, and are centered around the foundation’s chief executive, Michael Fawcett. This scandal is unfolding as Charles’ brother, Prince Andrew, reached a settlement with a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
On Wednesday, Metropolitan Police announced an investigation into alleged violations of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. No arrests have been made in connection with the investigation yet, Scotland Yard said. The charity is cooperating, sources told PEOPLE. However, a spokesperson for the foundation said it would be “inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
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The investigation began after an “assessment of a September 2021 letter” and following media reporting on the scandal. “The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information,” Scotland Yard’s statement read. “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.”
Back in September, The Sunday Timesย and The Mail on Sundayย reported that Fawcett allegedly supposed a campaign to get British honors for Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouzย in exchange for donations. Fawcett, who was one of Charles’ closest aides, resigned from running the Prince’s Foundationย after the charity launched an internal investigation.
When the reports surfaced, Clarence House denied Prince Charles was directly involved in the scandal. “The Prince of Wales has no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities and fully supports the investigation now underway by The Prince’s Foundation,” the prince’s office said in September.
The latest development in this scandal comes just days after Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her. She claimed she was introduced to Andrew through Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. It’s not clear what the financial terms of the settlement are, but Andrew has agreed to donate the money to Giuffre’s non-profit Victims Refuse Silence.
