In 2013, Prince Charles accepted a $1.2 million “donation” from Osama bin Laden’s half-brothers. In the initial reporting over the weekend, sources claimed that Charles insisted that his charities accept the money because it would be “rude” to give it back. Sources also claimed that there was a lot of protestation within Charles’s camp and charities. Clarence House’s version of events was that Charles has nothing to do with his charitable foundations and it was their call alone to accept the money. For real, that’s their cover story: “Charles didn’t know, we swear!” Nevermind that he apparently met with the Bin Ladens personally (to broker the payment!) and nevermind that the Windsors have always been exceptionally close to the House of Saud and all of the wealthiest and most powerful people within the Kingdom. The charitable commission and British authorities have already shrugged off this donation too.
So what’s new with this ongoing saga? New Yorkers and 9/11 families are really mad at Charles. The New York Post had a story where various 9/11 families are quoted as saying stuff like “I don’t think he should be king of anything. He is an incompetent. A regular person would see what they did … yet he turns around and takes their money.” That dude is not wrong! In addition to that, an old story about Charles brushing off 9/11 families too:
The late Sir Christopher Meyer let slip a royal indiscretion in his memoirs DC Confidential, writing that Prince Charles was expected in New York weeks after the 9/11 atrocities as patron of ‘UK in New York’. ‘Prince Charles was unable to come… much to the chagrin of the organisers,’ recalls the ex-ambassador. ‘I was told by a deep throat not a million miles from the Prince’s household that shooting at Balmoral had taken precedence. Prince Andrew stepped into the breach.’
[From The Daily Mail]
I have a distinct memory of Prince Charles visiting Ground Zero in late 2001, but it’s also possible that he brushed off another visit so he could go to a shooting party instead. Plus, I’m sure Jeffrey Epstein was very welcoming to Prince Andrew on that trip.
And finally, Clarence House is making vague promises about Charles dialing down the fundraising… eventually. When he’s king.
Prince Charles is to cut his charity fundraising and focus increasingly on supporting the Queen after a series of scandals over historic donations. The heir to the throne, who was facing fresh controversy after it emerged that he received £1 million from the family of Osama Bin Laden in 2013, has reduced the amount of time he spends on his charities since 2018 and intends a further cutback as he increasingly concentrates on standing in for his mother in her head of state duties.
Charles, regularly hailed by his aides as one of Britain’s most successful philanthropists, is expected to formally sever or at least further loosen his ties with his remaining charities when he becomes King, the Daily Express understands. A review of his charities in 2018 streamlined their operations and lowered fundraising expectations.
[From The Daily Express]
Charles has already begun to put people in place at all of his charities and foundations, people who operate and manage everything on a daily basis. But Charles is the key person for all the fundraising because that’s how all of these quid pro quo schemes work. People are donating huge gobs of cash because they know that’s how to get face time with Charles. He’s set his price – for $3 million or so, you get multiple meetings with Charles, plus a knighthood and an eased path to citizenship.
Photos courtesy of Instar.
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