Prince Charles will ‘draw a line beneath his past’ to be King as he prepares for the role, according to a royal expert. This was after Michael Fawcett quit abruptly over his ‘cash-for-honours’ inquiry.
Last night, Mr Fawcett resigned as the chief executive at The Prince’s Foundation. He had been a key adviser for many years and was ‘closely involved with overseeing every aspect of Prince’s life’.
Friends said that the top aide of Charles, 59, was heartbroken and devastated by his experiences. This follows reports that the prince’s ex-valet tried to get a British knighthood for a Saudi billionaire donor.
The Daily Mail believes that Mr Fawcett who rose to power and influence in the court of the future king, does not seek to block an official investigation into claims. This has yet to come back.
Peter Hunt was also the BBC’s Royal correspondent between 2003 and 2017. He said that today, “Palace officials will be keenly to present this to Charles as he draws a line underhis past while preparing for his kingship.” The size of the severance payment given to the former servant will not be discussed.
Mr Hunt added: ‘Palace officials will also be praying that there isn’t a police investigation into the allegations.’
Friends say the scandal – which broke in early September – has had a ‘devastating’ effect on Mr Fawcett, and he has only now felt well enough to make a decision about his future. He said that Michael has quit and that he would not be returning. He’s now five stone lighter and a shadow from his past self.
Roya Nikkhah, a royal expert, said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “Michael Fawcett has really been the Prince’s right-hand person for many decades.” Charles was his first job as a Buckingham Palace footman, but he has been with him for many years as his main adviser on all matters. His involvement in the oversight of every part of the prince’s life has been significant for most of the prince’s lifetime. It will be a huge loss for the Prince of Wales.
Sunday Times royal correspondent Charles added that Charles’s spouse, the Duchess Of Cornwall, may have been involved in Mr Fawcett leaving. Camilla stated that Michael Fawcett’s continued presence within the household could be detrimental to the reputation of the Prince and detracting from his work.
“And the Duke of Cornwall is steadfastly loyal the Prince of Wales. And my understanding was (and I haven’t had any pushback) that she was eager to see him go.
Emily Cherrington is the chief operating officer for the Prince’s Foundation and has been acting in place of Mr Fawcett during his temporary resignation in early September.
Michael Fawcett was photographed outside his South West London house on Sunday. He has now resigned as the chief executive at The Prince’s Foundation. His friends said that he’s heartbroken and “shattered” by recent events.
Charles was a man Charles could not live with for the better part of forty-eight years. Pictured during a royal tour
In 2016, Charles was awarded an honorary CBE to Mahfouz Marei Mubarak, a billionaire from Saudi Arabia.
The Prince’s Foundation spokesperson confirmed that Michael Fawcett had resigned his position as CEO.
Clarence House stated to the Mail that they were cutting all ties with Mr Fawcett and would no longer work with Premier Mode Events, his event company. Thus, ending his tragic fall from grace.
According to a spokesperson, Premier Mode and Michael Fawcett will no longer be providing any services for us. These arrangements will be ended, as we have all agreed.
Charles was a man Charles could never live without for the better part of forty-eight decades.
However, he was plagued by controversy. He was forced twice to resign following being accused of bullying staff members and selling unwelcome royal gifts.
He was allowed to return on both occasions and the prince later gave Premier Mode a lucrative contract to manage most of his formal and personal entertaining.
2007 saw the appointment of Mr Fawcett as chief executive at Scotland’s Dumfries House. This was a historic stately residence that Charles saved for Scotland. It has been transformed into a hub for Charles’ extensive charitable work and community center.
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, much to the surprise – and concern – of some current and former household staff.
Fawcett was determined to become a “fundraiser extraordinaire”, raising millions of dollars each year for the Prince’s charitable work.
But it was his successes in securing multi-million-pound contributions that led to his demise.
This autumn, there were questions raised regarding Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz the Saudi billionaire. Charles personally awarded him an honorary CBE in 2016.
He had donated £1.5 million, spent mostly on renovating two of Charles’s Scottish properties, where parts of the grounds are named after him. He allegedly paid thousands of dollars to fixers who were connected to Prince Charles and claimed that they would secure him an honor. Mahfouz has denied all wrongdoing.
A letter was sent by Mr Fawcett to Mr Mahfouz. It stated that he had received a letter from him in 2017 stating: “In light of his Excellency Sheikh Mahfouz Marei Mubarak, bin Mahfouz’s generosity in recent times, I am glad to confirm to your satisfaction, in confidence, our willingness and pleasure to support the application for citizenship.”
I can confirm, furthermore that we would be willing to apply to elevate His Excellency’s honour to Honorary CBE and to KBE as per Her Majesty’s Honours Committee. Sources claim Prince Charles didn’t know of the connection between honors and foundation donations and was “deeply shocked”.
According to the Prince’s Foundation, it considered all allegations serious and ordered immediate investigation.
His announcement was that Fawcett would be stepping down temporarily while the matter is investigated. Fawcett has made that decision to keep the post permanent, even after all of the evidence was revealed.
A friend said that despite his ‘many mis-steps’ over the years, Mr Fawcett had been a ‘loyal and faithful servant’ to the prince and had played a crucial role in his philanthropic efforts, helping Charles to raise more than £120 million for charity each year. Some royal insiders have questioned how the heir to the throne will manage to keep his charitable ventures – including Dumfries House – afloat without Mr Fawcett to ‘rattle the cans’.
According to a source, Michael will no longer have any dealings with His Royal Highness Clarence House. This is clear. It is clear that he will not be coming back any form or manner.
Fawcett was determined to be a fundraiser extraordinaire, raising millions every year to help the prince’s charity work. Pictured is Prince Charles, with Mr Fawcett, Sandringham 1990
Prince Charles and Mr Fawcett at the Christmas Shoot in Sandringham, Norfolk in December 1992
Prince Charles is seen with Mr Fawcett. Mr Fawcett’s departure will be seen by his enemies – who viewed him as a pernicious influence on the royal household – as long overdue. It will provide the Prince Of Wales with a clean sheet when he is crowned.
Some royal insiders have questioned how the heir to the throne will manage to keep his charitable ventures – including Dumfries House – afloat without Mr Fawcett (pictured) to ‘rattle the cans’
2007. Mr Fawcett became chief executive of Scotland’s Dumfries House in Scotland. The stately home Charles saved was turned into a facility for community and charitable purposes.
“The report is not yet complete. This is his and only decision. He isn’t pre-empting any possibility of finding it.
“This is his first time he’s been able to make a decision regarding his future.
According to a friend, the scandal pressure had had a devastating effect on Mr Fawcett’s health. ‘Michael isn’t a well man – he has lost lots of weight and has shrunken into himself. This is not something that anyone wants to sympathize with. He was devastated by it.
He made the decision to take his time and get out of this situation. He wants to be alone during this time of difficulty.
Mr Fawcett’s departure will be seen by his enemies – who viewed him as a pernicious influence on the royal household – as long overdue. It will provide the Prince Of Wales with a clean sheet when he is crowned king.
According to a friend, even though he had made’many errors’ throughout his life, Mr Fawcett had been loyal and faithful and was an integral part of the prince’s philanthropic activities. Pictured is Mr Fawcett, the Prince Of Wales, and Lord Thurso in a tour of 2019
Some people feared that Mr Fawcett would be promoted at this time to Master in the Household at Buckingham Palace.
According to some, the Duchess is not upset by him seeing his back. Although she was once supportive of Mr Fawcett, now she feels that her husband has the ability to start a new chapter.
Officials today will make public that the decision of Mr Fawcett was made known to The Prince Of Wales. The Prince of Wales feels sadness at the end, but accepts it.
The Prince’s Foundation and Scotland’s regulator of charities are also looking into Mr Fawcett’s claims.
Clarence House spokesmen stated previously that the Prince of Wales supports the current investigation at the foundation.
Prince Charles is grieving. There’s no turning back. Twice Michael Fawcett was forced to retire from royal service… twice he was rehired. What’s the reason? His presence was “indispensable”. RICHARD KYAY says that he is no longer indispensable.
Richard Kay, The Daily Mail
This time there will be no reprieve, no last-minute appeal for clemency and most certainly no gathering of land-owning grandees offering to make a special plea for his salvation.
The man who came from nothing is now back in his place, for the first time since 40 years.
Two parts of the story about Michael Fawcett’s rise and fall is tragic.
For Fawcett it is about being raised to a status that was unimaginable when he first arrived at Buckingham Palace as a lowly footman – and then flying too high.
It is all about the Prince of Wales losing the man who served and defended him above all else. He once stated that he could do without Michael.
18 years ago, Fawcett was implicated in unsavoury claims about the disposition of royal gifts. A report cleared him. Fawcett was still made the victim, but through a clever piece of royal maneuvering, he not only survived, but also prospered. Just as he had five years earlier when rival staff, tired of his bullying and overbearing manner, plotted to oust him – only for well-connected royal friends to come racing to his rescue.
In 2018, Camilla, Prince of Wales and Mr Fawcett are shown together. The Daily Mail’s revelation that the prince has accepted the resignation of the man who had been with him through thick and thin – and once seemed unsackable – is tinged not with triumph but sadness and sorrow
This time, however, his claims were far more grave. It was alleged that Fawcett had secured honours and British citizenship to a Saudi-based tycoon, who had financed Charles’ charities. So it is not just a matter of whether Fawcett will leave, but also when.
The Daily Mail’s revelation that the prince has accepted the resignation of the man who had been with him through thick and thin – and once seemed unsackable – is tinged not with triumph but sadness and sorrow.
The high-flyer, whose career began in a small bungalow, resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation. Prince Charles’ approval would have allowed him to leave.
After the dust settles this time, there will not be any cosy returns. For the man with the spit-and-polished tasselled loafers, Turnbull & Asser shirts and hand-tailored suits – a style epitomised by the prince he served with such devotion – is severing every royal connection.
Fawcett, who was responsible for Dumfries House’s Scottish treasure Charles has been saved from total destruction, has now resigned.
Fawcett’s private firm Premier Mode, an events and management company that he founded after being’sack’ by his previous employer, is perhaps the most significant. It has now severed all links to Clarence House.
The high-flyer, whose career began in a small bungalow, resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation. Without Prince Charles’ approval, his departure would have not been approved. Pictured: Mr Fawcett and his wife Debbie
Fawcett’s royal journey is over, but so is his marriage to Debbie. She too was a symbol of selfless service, having completed her final task this week – purchasing the presents on the prince’s Christmas list.
As brutal as only a Palace coup can be, Fawcett’s departure represents the most significant transition for Charles from Prince of Wales to king-in–waiting.
Many courtiers have wrongly viewed Fawcett’s absence as an incontinence to the Prince’s life. They now see his departure as an essential and needed step.
Not so long ago, Fawcett was being talked of as a future Master of the Household under King Charles – a position of considerable influence.
A knighthood was also discussed. This would have been the highest honor for the son of a cashier, and a nurse, who grew up in suburb Bexley, Kent. The seemingly inextricable relationship between the master’s servant and the master, which was formed during the turmoil of the breakup of the royal marriage, kept him from giving up. However, this was different.
Fawcett could have once escaped the uproar about cash access. With the prince on the throne now, it was too dangerous to continue with this taint.
When the Duchess of Cornwall decided to withdraw her support for him, rather than backing him like she had always done in the past. It was an important moment in the aftermath of the scandal.
The most vocal of Fawcett’s supporters was Mrs Parker Bowles in 1998, and 2003. But two months ago it was revealed that Fawcett, who was appointed head of The Prince’s Foundation in 2018, had helped to fix a CBE for a Saudi tycoon who donated £1.5million to royal charities.
Charles accepted also a 6-figure donation by a Russian businessman. Charles then thanked him and offered to meet.
In a third incident he is reported to have offered to help secure a knighthood – and British citizenship – for another foreign donor.
When the Duchess of Cornwall decided to withdraw her support for him, rather than backing him like she had always done in the past. It was an important moment in the aftermath of the scandal. Photo of Prince Charles, Diana, and Mr Fawcett, 1990
These revelations shed light on the dark world of royal favours and backscratching.
Fawcett stood down from his £90,000-a-year role while an independent inquiry investigated.
I understand that he has not had sight of the inquiry’s report – which has not yet been completed in any case – but yesterday’s dramatic move indicates that Fawcett fears its findings will be damning.
It is clear that his mental and physical health have suffered from the aftermath of the revelations.
An acquaintance who saw the father-of-two, who had married an ex-palace maid, said that he lost five stone. I asked him: “Michael was always incredibly positive, confident and a great guy. But he’s causing me concern.”
“He was receiving professional support and is now heartbroken by this turn of events.”
Another insider says: ‘Michael has given the prince the ultimate gift – his resignation, thus avoiding any unpleasantness later on.’
Their bond of trust goes back over four decades.
Fawcett has been an unwavering constant in the prince’s life – as ‘non-negotiable as Camilla used to be’, observes a Palace aide – while others in his household, some far more senior, have come and gone. ‘No one understood the prince’s moods and eccentricities quite like Michael – and no one had his skill in dealing with them,’ says an old friend.
We’re not talking just about his little quirks or his preference for folding his napkins, nor how much vermouth to add to dry martinis. Michael has also trained other people to do this. He understands his needs and is able to communicate them. It is clear that they are strong assets.
The prince was dependent on him for his silky selling skills, which he used once to get unwanted royal gifts off foreign dignitaries.
Certainly there was no clearer indication of that dependence than when Charles put Fawcett – the man who squeezed his toothpaste for him after he broke his arm playing polo in 1990 – in charge of his beloved Dumfries House, the Palladian mansion which he saved for the nation.
This costly restoration was a labor of love by the Prince, who believed he could secure all the funding needed to complete it.
Fawcett was instrumental in making the house, which is a historic Scottish home, a popular venue for weddings, conferences and other events. He also employed as many people from local communities as possible. From the very beginning, he was available three or four times a week. It was “next best to having Prince of Wales do this job himself,” one person from those days remembered.
He used the same silky talents he had to once sell unwanted royal presents from foreign dignitaries for the prince (a practice that led to him being called “Fawcett, the fence”) and was the crucial link between the princes wealthy donors.
He was an ordinary man with humble beginnings, but he managed to make the wealthy and powerful feel like they had the best of everything.
Then, they opened their wallets in return.
A former aide says that Michael was more than just the person who secured the funds. He was the man responsible for organizing all extravagant parties where the guests could get their checks out. He is persuasive and charming.
This was how the seeds for his demise were also sown.
Image was crucial, hence those polished loafers, the silk pochette he wore in his breast pocket, and the way he liked to touch his shirt cuffs and stand with hands clasped behind his back – an affectation he copied from the prince.
However, it was an amazing rise for someone who had worked in Jermyn Street menswear shops on Saturdays (where he used to get discounted clothing).
It is rare that any of the below-stairs retainers at Buckingham Palace remember Michael David Fawcett coming in 1981. A polyester pullover was all he wore to his first day at catering college. These sweaters were later a Fawcett amusement. In the middle of 1990s, Fawcett’s new bodyguard was introduced. He sighed, “You’re a walking danger, dear.”
Staff remember him fondly as a “Billy Liar” figure, who claimed he had a modest upbringing and was the son of an accountant. At one point he grandly styled himself ‘Buxton-Fawcett’ – Buxton was his mother’s maiden name – but fellow staff were unimpressed and took to addressing him as ‘Sir Michael.’
He was taken under the tutelage of Clarence House’s staff, the Queen Mother. His ability to learn quickly led him to be promoted to sergeant footman. This gave him authority over the very people who had been mocking him – and also brought him to the notice of the Prince of Wales, who invited him to become his assistant valet.
Fawcett was there when the newlyweds Charles & Diana established their home at Kensington Palace. Fawcett was only one year older than Diana. However, their friendship didn’t last. Fawcett stood firm with Charles as their marriage fell apart.
Diana altered the locks in her marital apartment when Charles and Diana separated in 1992.
Fawcett gained influence over the following years and was elevated from personal assistant to valet. Fawcett became more overbearing and was soon the object of complaints from his fellow servants. Fawcett resigned – only to be reinstated after Camilla intervened on his behalf.
Fawcett was forced to resign five years later after an internal investigation found that he had violated regulations and accepted gifts Charles didn’t want. Importantly, the probe cleared Fawcett of financial misconduct and he returned to the Prince’s side.
Charles and Camilla loved him for his emotional intelligence, ability to pay attention to details and willingness to take over if it was in his best interests. But even that patience is now exhausted. One courtier said that Michael became too expensive to maintain.
It is most likely that Prince Charles’s last parting with Princess Diana was the hardest. It may, however, ensure that – as king – his reign will not be tarnished by a man whose capacity for trouble was simply no longer worth his support.