The Prince of Wales accepted a million pound payment from the family of Osama bin Laden, reports The Sunday Times in the UK.
He says Charles got the money from Bakr bin Laden, the patriarch of the wealthy Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq, who are half-brothers of the former al-Qaeda leader.
Clarence House says the decision to accept the donation to its charity, the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund (PWCF), was made solely by the trustees.
The Times says Charles, 73, had a private meeting with Bakr, 76, at Clarence House in London on October 30, 2013, two years after Osama bin Laden was killed by North- Americans in Pakistan.
He accepted the donation despite objections from advisers at Clarence House and the PWCF, where the money was deposited, the paper says.
He says several advisers begged the prince in person to return the money and was told by one of his household members that “it wouldn’t be good for anyone”.
Clarence House disputed many of the claims and Ian Cheshire, chairman of PWCF, said the donation was “fully accepted” by the five trustees at the time.
The charity, which was founded in 1979 with a mission to transform lives and build sustainable communities, awards grants to UK-registered not-for-profit organizations to deliver projects in the UK, the Commonwealth and overseas.
“The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Trust has assured us that thorough due diligence has been carried out in accepting this donation,” Clarence House said.
“The decision to accept was made solely by the charity’s trustees and any attempt to characterize it otherwise is disingenuous.”
Cheshire said Sheikh Bakr bin Laden’s donation in 2013 was carefully considered by PWCF administrators.
“Due diligence was carried out and information was sought from a wide range of sources, including the government.
“The decision to accept the donation was made entirely by the trustees. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate.”