Watchdog to take no further action over £2.5m 'given to Charles' charity in bags'

20 July 2022, 17:39 | Updated: 20 July 2022, 17:47

Prince Charles' charity will not face further action
Prince Charles' charity will not face further action. Picture: Getty

By Will Taylor

There will be no further investigation into a £2.5m donation to one of Prince Charles's charities, it has been announced.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The Charity Commission does not plan to take action after it was reported the cash was handed over in a suitcase and carrier bags from an ex-prime minister of Qatar.

"We have assessed the information provided by the charity and have determined there is no further regulatory role for the commission," the watchdog said.

Previously, a royal source told media that large donations made in cash would not be accepted now, and that such a handover has not happened "for more than half a decade".

The cash from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, who was PM in Qatar for between 2007 and 2013, was passed on to the Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation immediately, which decided to accept it, the source said.

The Sunday Times said the money was handed over for the charity in three meetings between 2011 and 2015.

It sparked criticism because of the way such a large donation was made in cash using suitcases and bags.

Read more: 'Queen and Charles urged Meghan to try to reconcile with her father,' book claims

The Charity Commission has now said it has no worries over the charity's governance and that enough due diligence had been carried out.

Anti-monarchy campaigners Republic had demanded full disclosure about the donation, calling it "shocking".

It said previously that "serious questions about Prince Charles's judgment" had been raised.

The Metropolitan Police has started an investigation into an alleged cash-for-honours scandal after Charles and a former close confidant were reported over the claims.

Michael Fawcett was accused of promising to help get a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire who had donated to another of Charles's charities, the Prince's Foundation.

Clarence House said the prince had "no knowledge" of the alleged scandal.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Woman admits gross negligence manslaughter after deaths of four paddleboarders during Pembrokeshire tour.

Owner of paddleboarding company ‘not remotely qualified’ to lead tour in which four people drowned in river

Kenneth Lingard, 86, arrives at Liverpool Crown Court

Former Manchester United and England star Jesse Lingard gives evidence at grandfather's sex assault trial

Nationwide has cut mortgage rates as low as 3.89%

Nationwide cuts mortgage rate as banks announce changes that could allow people to borrow more

Van driver Rawal Rehman admitted causing the death of Louisa Palmisano in Manchester

Van driver took 'at least 20 lines of cocaine' before horror crash that killed girl, three, on pavement

Sleep time could have a performance on tests, the research found

Youngsters who sleep longer may perform better in tests, study suggests

Over 20 people, mainly tourists, were killed and many injured in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu, India

More than 20 killed in suspected terror attack after gunmen open fire on tourists in India

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was a complex topic that President Vladimir Putin was ready to discuss

Putin open to direct peace talks with Ukraine as Trump pushes for deal this week

Lily Phillips

OnlyFans star Lily Phillips insists she's 'not an object for sex' but wants to 'empower herself' as a feminist

Alligators

See you later alligator! Footage captures moment two alligators ring doorbell of Florida home and try to get in

Workers in the rail and sections hot end rolling mill at the British Steel site on April 17, 2025 in Scunthorpe, England.

2,700 jobs safe as British Steel ends consultation on redundancies after Government takeover

Ian Coates, 65, and students Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19 were killed by Valdo Calocane

Public inquiry into Nottingham attack announced

Ben Youngs

England's most capped player Ben Youngs announces retirement from rugby

The Hammersmith Bridge in west London has reopened for cyclists and pedestrians after a £2.9m refurb, as no decision has been made on whether drivers will be allowed to use it.

Hammersmith Bridge reopens for cyclists after £2.9m refurb, but no decision made on when drivers will be allowed back

Major high street brand may close nine stores across the UK.

Major high street brand announces nine store closures across the UK

Beyonce with her mother, Tina Knowles at the "Mufasa: The Lion King" premiere in Hollywood last year

Beyonce’s mum Tina Knowles, 71, diagnosed with breast cancer after missed screening

Video footage revealed the harrowing moment a diver thrashes in the water off Hadera, north-west Israel.

Swimmer mauled by shark in front of crowd of beachgoers as police search for missing man