A probe has been launched by the Charity Commission into donations that were received from a trust of a Saudi businessman and meant to Charles’s charity, The Prince’s Foundation. 

Today, the charity regulator for England announced that it opened an investigation into Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz’s Mahfouz foundation.

Scottish Charity Regulator has already begun to investigate allegations regarding the former chief executive of Prince’s Foundation, Michael Fawcett. He resigned last Wednesday.

Charles Fawcett was one of his closest confidantes. He resigned because he promised to secure Dr Bin Mahfouz a knighthood as well as UK citizenship. 

It is unclear how this latest investigation will impact the Prince of Wales. However, it is the latest crisis that has hit Prince’s Foundation since the scandal of ‘cash for honours’.

The Commission stated that it was ‘engaging’ with the Mahfouz Foundation trustees since September. Their goal is to preserve and promote Middle Eastern culture, history and culture.

Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz is pictured meeting Prince Charles

Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak, bin Mahfouz, is seen meeting Prince Charles

Michael Fawcett (right), one of Prince Charles's closest confidantes, resigned after claims he allegedly promised to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for Dr Bin Mahfouz

Michael Fawcett (right), one Prince Charles’s most trusted confidantes, quit after he was accused of promising to provide a British citizenship and a knighthood for Dr Bin Mahfouz 

This was after allegations that money meant for Prince’s Foundation had been transferred to Mahfouz Foundation.

A statutory investigation was launched by the regulator on November 2nd, and it stated that the regulator had identified other concerns about the governance of trustees and the financial control of charity.

Footman to Top Man: How Prince Charles’ aide Michael Fawcett rose and fell 

1981: Michael Fawcett is a young man who gets a job at Buckingham Palace as a junior footman. After graduating from Buckingham Palace, Fawcett moved to Kensington Palace and became an assistant valet to Prince Charles.

1990: When Charles broke his arm playing polo, Charles trusted him to apply toothpaste to Charles’s teeth.

1992: Diana changes the locks in her marital flat to protect Fawcett who had pinned loyalty to Charles when the royal couple split.

1998: The prince is contacted by three members of the palace staff to express their dismay at Fawcett’s bullying and overbearing ways. Charles is left in tears after Fawcett’s resignation. He is then reinstated and promoted within one week.

2000: Fawcett is appointed a Member of the Victorian Order by the Prince in the New Year’s Honours – an honour normally reserved for Royal Household members.

2003:For allegedly selling gifts for Charles that the prince didn’t want, he is forced to leave again. He is cleared of financial misconduct after an internal investigation. He resigns but the prince rewards him with a £500,000 severance packet. Premier Mode is a private events firm that Fawcett starts.

2005:Premier Mode organizes Charles and Camilla’s wedding party.

2017:Fawcett has joined the A G Carrick board, which Charles established to sell mementoes from his Highgrove shop. Fawcett manages the trust that Prince Charles established to oversee Dumfries House, Prince Charles’s personal project.

2018: Fawcett is appointed to a £95,000-a-year role as chief executive of Charles’s charity, The Prince’s Foundation.

2021: It is alleged that Fawcett fixed a CBE for a Saudi billionaire who had donated more than £1.5 million to royal charities. Fawcett quits the job for the third and final time. 

The resignation comes just weeks after Charles’s righthand man, Mr Fawcett quit last week as Chief Executive of Prince’s Foundation in protest at the ‘cash-for-honors’ inquiry.

He also had his private contract to organise events for Charles severed, after reports he offered to help Dr Bin Mahfouz – a donor to the prince’s charity – secure a knighthood and UK citizenship.

Fawcett became chief executive officer of Scotland’s Dumfries House in 2007. This is a former stately home Charles saved and has been made a center for charitable activity.

In 2018, following a reorganisation of those charities, Mr Fawcett was appointed as £95,000-a-year chief executive of the newly created The Prince’s Foundation.

Fawcett became a fundraiser extraordinaire, raising millions every year to help the prince with his philanthropic efforts.

But, this fall, Dr Bin Mahfouz was the subject of questions. He received an honorary CBE from Charles in 2016, but that question has been raised earlier.

He had donated £1.5million, spent mostly on renovating two of Charles’s Scottish properties, where parts of the grounds are named after him.

According to some reports, he had paid thousands of dollars to fixers connected to the prince. They claimed that they were able to secure him an honour. Mahfouz has denied all wrongdoing.

This letter was significant because it contained a note that Mr Fawcett sent to Mr Mahfouz in 2017. It stated: “In light of His Excellency Sheikh Mahfouz Marei Mubarak Bin Mahfouz’s ongoing generosity, I am pleased to confirm to You, in confidence. We are happy and willing to help and support the application for citizenship.

“I confirm that we will make a request to raise His Excellency’s honor from Honorary CBE into KBE, in accordance to Her Majesty’s Honours Committee.”

Sources claimed that Prince Charles did not know of any connection between honours and donations to the foundation.

Prince’s Foundation stated that it was taking the allegations very seriously and initiated an investigation.

While the matter was being investigated, Mr Fawcett stated that he would temporarily resign from his position.

However, he made the decision to keep that determination in place last week even though the results had not been disclosed.

Today’s Charities Commission inquiry is set to investigate whether donations made by Mahfouz Foundation have been intended for charity.

Michael Fawcett, 59, is pictured outside his home in South West London earlier this month

Michael Fawcett (59), is seen outside of his South West London home earlier in the month

They will be examined to determine whether the donations were made in good faith and should they be returned to the donor.

Emily Anne Cherrington, 38, is now the acting chief executive of the Prince's Foundation

Emily Anne Cherrington (38), is the Prince’s Foundation’s acting chief executive.

The probe will also examine whether trustees fulfilled their legal obligations and responsibilities in accordance with the charity law.

If additional problems arise, the Commission may expand its scope and will publish a final report.

The report details the issues that were investigated, the actions taken and the results.

Furthermore, the Commission said that the Commission does not regulate the Prince’s Foundation. Instead, it is registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

The Charity Commission is an independent government agency that regulates and registers charities in England & Wales.

The Prince’s Foundation did not respond to requests for comment, however, sources said that they would welcome any cooperation in the investigation.