Charles’ former royal aide resigns from Prince Foundation amid donor allegations
A long serving aide to Prince Charles has quit his senior role with one of the Royal’s charities.
Michael Fawcett resigned following claims he offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure an honour and a knighthood in return for donations to the Prince’s Foundation.
Mr Fawcett had stepped down temporarily as the chief executive in September but it’s now been confirmed he’s quit the role completely.
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A statement from a spokesperson at the Prince’s Foundation simply said: “Michael Fawcett has resigned from his post as CEO of The Prince’s Foundation.”
The allegations about his conduct had been referred to the Scottish Charity Regulator as well as investigators from one of the well-known auditing firms.
The Prince’s Foundation is headquartered at Dumfries House in Scotland.
ITV News understands the investigation is ongoing and has yet to reach its conclusions.
The Sunday Times had claimed that Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz donated large sums to restoration projects which were close to Prince Charles’ heart and had been promised support for a honour.
Mr Mahfouz denies any wrongdoing.
Prince Charles’ trusted his former valet, Fawcett, with running his charity but it will now operate without him.
Michael Fawcett’s events company Premier Mode used to have a contract with the charity and with Clarence House and was paid for organising engagements and providing the food and drink.
A spokesperson for The Prince’s Foundation said: “The Prince’s Foundation has not had a contractual relationship with Premier Mode since 2018.”
It’s understood that contract will not be re-started even though Mr Fawcett has quit.
Who is Michael Fawcett?
Mr Fawcett, who in 2003 was cleared of financial misconduct allegations over the selling of royal gifts, was appointed chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation in 2018 following a reorganisation of Charles’ charities.
He began his royal service in 1981 as a footman to the Queen, rising through the ranks to sergeant footman and then Charles’ assistant valet, setting out his bespoke suits and shirts every morning at Kensington Palace.
He was accused of selling unwanted royal gifts and pocketing a percentage of the proceeds when Charles’ personal assistant, but was cleared by an internal inquiry of any financial misconduct.
The inquiry, headed by Charles’ then private secretary Sir Michael Peat, found Mr Fawcett did “infringe internal rules relating to gifts from suppliers” but could not be severely criticised because the rules were not enforced and he made no secret of such gifts.
But the report painted a picture of Mr Fawcett as an alleged bully who accepted valuable gifts from outsiders.
The royal aide resigned following the report’s publication, but continued to have the prince’s patronage as a freelance fixer and party planner, and picked up an undisclosed cash severance package as well as an agreement to work as the Prince’s events manager.