LONDON ( Associated Press) – Britain’s Prince Charles has been embroiled in controversy after a newspaper reported that one of his charities had received a £1 million ($1.2 million) donation from Osama bin Laden’s relatives.
The Sunday Times reported that the Prince of Wales’ charitable fund was funded in 2013 by Bakr bin Laden, the patriarch of a large and wealthy Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq. Both are half-brothers of the al-Qaeda leader, who was gunned down by US commandos in Pakistan in 2011.
According to the newspaper, Prince Charles’ relatives urged him not to accept those funds.
Carlos’ office, called Clarence House, disputed but confirmed that there was a donation. He added that the decision to accept the money was made by the organization’s board of directors, not Carlos himself, “and that all proper procedures were followed to accept this donation.”
The head of the organization, Ian Cheshire, also said that the decision was made “thoroughly” by the five directors at the time and that “any attempt to indicate otherwise is misleading and false.”
The Prince of Wales Charitable Fund was established in 1979 to “change lives and create sustainable communities” and provides grants to a variety of projects in the UK and around the world.
Charles, 73, has been involved in many criticisms of his charity. Last month the Sunday Times reported that it accepted $3 million in cash from former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.
London police are currently investigating another allegation that people close to the Prince’s Foundation, another charity of the prince, offered to help a Saudi billionaire gain honor and British citizenship in exchange for donations. Clarence House says Prince Charles was not aware of the proposal.
