Cash-for-honours scandal forces top aide to Prince Charles to resign as Clarence House cuts ties
An alleged cash-for-hours scandal has forced a former aide to the Prince of Wales to resign as chief executive of one of Charles’ charities.
Michael Fawcett and his party planning company will also no longer be providing services to Clarence House, a spokesperson said.
Fawcett, Charles’ former royal valet, had temporarily stepped down as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation in September. But a spokesperson for the charity said he has since resigned from his post.
“Michael Fawcett has resigned from his post as CEO of The Prince’s Foundation.”
Knighthood
Fawcett is accused of promising to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire donor.
The Mail on Sunday published a letter from 2017 in which Mr Fawcett reportedly wrote that he was willing to make an application to change businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz’s honorary CBE to a KBE, and support his application for citizenship.
The letter, written on headed notepaper in Mr Fawcett’s then-capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, said the applications would be made in response to “the most recent and anticipated support” of the trust.
In September, Clarence House said Charles had “no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities” and insisted the royal was fully supportive of an investigation by The Prince’s Foundation.
On Thursday, a Clarence House spokesperson said it was ending arrangements with Fawcett and his party planning company Premier Mode.
The spokesperson said: “Michael Fawcett and Premier Mode will not be providing services to us in the future. We have all agreed to end these arrangements”.
Fawcett was appointed to the major role of chief executive of Charles’ The Prince’s Foundation in 2018 amid a reorganisation of the prince’s charities.