Scotland's charity regulator is set to launch an investigation into claims the Prince of Wales' foundation accepted a six-figure sum from a wealthy Russian donor.
The investigation comes at a testing time for Prince Charles, as the chief executive of the foundation and one of the prince's closest confidants was forced to step down following allegations he promised to secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire.
On receiving the huge sum from the Russian donor, the Prince wrote a thank you letter and suggested they would meet after the Covid-19 pandemic was over.
However, the donation was later rejected by the ethics committee of the foundation following concerns of its origin.
On launching the investigation into the Prince's Foundation, the Scottish Charity Regulator said: "It is the responsibility of all charity trustees, the people who manage and control a charity, to act at all times in the interests of the charity and comply with their legal duties in doing so. In particular, they must ensure that all funds are spent in achieving the charity’s purposes, and ensure that grants or donations are used in line with any conditions imposed."
Last week, Clarence House said the prince had “no knowledge” of the alleged cash-for-honours scandal after Charles and Mr Fawcett, one of his most trusted confidants, were reported to the police over the claims.
What is the Prince's Foundation?
The foundation is an educational charity, established in 1998 by Prince Charles. It aims to put people at the centre of urban design and architecture.
To date, the foundation has reportedly involved over 8000 people in designing community based projects, including the newly redeveloped Alder Hey Children's Hospital which opened in 2015.
The foundation also offers educational programmes, such as a Masters in Traditional Arts and courses in traditional building techniques such as stonemasonry.
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