The Prince of Wales accepting cash bags for his charity “would not happen again”, a high palace source said.
For the first time, one of Prince Charles’ main aides has responded in detail to reports that emerged over the weekend that between 2011 and 2015 the prince received 3 million euros in cash put into bags by a sheikh from Qatar for its charitable foundation.
Speaking about the allegations in The Sunday Times, the aide said: “As we said over the weekend, it was immediately passed on to their charities, and it was their charities that decided to accept the money.
“This is a decision for them, and they did, and as they confirmed that it was following all the right processes, the auditors analyzed it.”
They added: “The Prince of Wales operates with advice. Situations, contexts change over the years.
“For more than half a decade, with the situation as it has evolved, this has not happened, and it would not happen again. That was then, this is now, and they are not the same.”
The three batches of money, which amounted to 3 million euros, were personally handed over to the prince between 2011 and 2015 by former Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, known as HBJ.
It is claimed that on one occasion, he gave the prince 1 million euros in bags from Fortnum & Mason, the luxury food store that has a royal charter to provide groceries to the royal family.
Clarence House insists that all correct processes on donations were followed. The cash payments were deposited in the accounts of the Prince of Wales Charity Fund (PWCF), an entity that funds the Prince’s private projects and his estate in Scotland, he added.
The Republic campaign group had demanded full disclosure on the matter, describing the events as “shocking” and saying it raised “serious questions about Charles’ trial” amid other allegations of cash for honors.
The senior aide to the palace stressed that the Charity Commission has not opened an investigation. On Monday, the charity’s watchdog said it was aware of reports of donations and is investigating the matter.
He said: “We will review the information to determine if there is any role for the Commission in this matter.”
Charities can accept cash donations and there is no suggestion that the payments were illegal.
In February, metropolitan police began an investigation into an alleged cash-for-honor scandal after Charles and his former confidant, Michael Fawcett, were charged with the claims.
Mr Fawcett was accused of promising to help secure a gentleman and British citizenship for a Saudi multimillion-dollar donor linked to another of Charles’ charities, the Prince’s Foundation.
Clarence House said the prince “had no knowledge” of the alleged cash-for-honor scandal.
The Prince of Wales was asked today about the latest reports during an engagement in Edinburgh, but did not answer.
He was in town to see a sculpture dedicated to NHS workers who contributed during the pandemic to the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
Last month, he was announced as his new patron, succeeding his father, the Duke of Edinburgh.