The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, has accepted a £1m donation from the half-brothers of terrorist Osama bin Laden. The money went to the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund, the Sunday Times reported today.
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II met Saudi businessman Bakr bin Laden in October 2013 at his London residence Clarence House. Several advisers asked the 73-year-old not to accept or return the money. However, Charles ignored her concerns that the donation could damage his reputation.
Osama bin Laden was the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States that killed thousands, including 67 Britons. He was killed by US special forces in Pakistan on May 2, 2011. There is no evidence that Bakr bin Laden and his brother Shafik were involved in the attacks or supported terrorism.
Charles previously criticized for donating to foundation
The head of Charles’ foundation, Ian Cheshire, said all five trustees had approved the donation. An anonymous source at Clarence House told Sunday Times aides they were not dismayed by the payment, nor did Charles “vent” his concerns. The decision to accept was up to the curators alone.
It’s not the first time Charles has been criticized for making a donation to his foundation. Just a few weeks ago, the Sunday Times reported that the Queen’s son accepted a total of three million euros in cash from the former Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, between 2011 and 2015. it was stored in a suitcase and other amounts in shopping bags from a well-known luxury department store.