Prince Harry criticized a media outlet regarding what he called a “deliberately vague” report about a scandal involving Prince Charles’ former aide Michael Fawcett.
A recent inquiry found that Fawcett, who stepped down from his role earlier this year, did work with “fixers” regarding nominations for honors between 2014 and 2018, according to People magazine.
Originally, Fawcett had been accused of allegedly helping Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz gain knighthood and British citizenship in exchange for donations.
“It is disappointing that The Sunday Times, knowing all the facts, has chosen to encourage speculation by being deliberately vague to try to create a falsified link between the Duke of Sussex and the CBE scandal, of which he had no knowledge or involvement,” the statement said, according to People magazine.
“The Duke and his advisers, as well as his non-profit Sentebale, severed ties with Mr Mahfouz and his associates in 2015, no longer accepting further donations to Sentebale and discontinuing any plans for a fundraising event amid growing concerns over the motives for his support.”
“The Duke had one planned meeting with this donor nearly eight years ago, did not introduce him to any members of the royal family, and expressed his concerns about the donor,” the statement concludes.
The recent inquiry, conducted by Ernst & Young, found “no evidence that employees or trustees of the Prince’s Foundation were aware of private dinners being ‘sold’ or arranged in exchange for money.”
Clarence House responded to the Ernst & Young’s report saying Prince Charles was “grateful” for the independent auditors’ report.
“The Prince of Wales is grateful to independent auditors for reviewing procedures at the Prince’s Foundation, who are today announcing a series of findings,” Clarence House said in a statement released to People magazine. “It is important to His Royal Highness that the charities which bear his name operate to the highest standards, in accordance with rules established by charity regulators. We are taking this opportunity to reinforce guidance to these charities, particularly in respect of their relationships with supporters.”
Saudi Arabian billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz allegedly paid tens of thousands of dollars to secure the title of honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [CBE], which is one of the highest accolades for non-British citizens, as previously reported.
At the time, reports alleged that Fawcett was paid to coordinate the title, as well as help Mahfouz receive a “golden visa” which he hoped to achieve U.K. citizenship and residency.
