Trustees at the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund have filed a serious incident report with the Charity Commission after media reports about its handling of millions of pounds in cash donations.
PWCF confirmed to Third Sector that it contacted the regulator at the end of last month.
PWCF received about €3m between 2011 and 2015 after Prince Charles was personally given the cash in bags and suitcases by the former prime minister of Qatar, according to The Sunday Times.
Trustees have contacted the regulator because of the risk hat the media reports harmed its public reputation, the charity said, adding that it will respond to any further contact from the Charity Commission.
The commission would only confirm that its position has not changed in the past fortnight, and that it is still weighing up whether or not to open an investigation into PWCF.
A spokesperson for the regulator said: “We are aware of reports about donations received by PWCF.
“We will review the information to determine whether there is any role for the commission in this matter.”
The Sunday Times said Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani personally handed the cash to Prince Charles during three separate meetings, with the money then being passed on to PWCF.
The charity’s trustees at the time of the donation discussed the gift with the auditors KPMG, who signed it off, the paper said.
PWCF is the fifth charity linked to the Prince of Wales to face regulatory scrutiny.
The Charity Commission has opened statutory inquiries into the Mahfouz Foundation and Burke’s Peerage Foundation, in relation to questions about whether donations intended for one charity connected to the prince were redirected to another organisation without the donor’s knowledge.
Another charity, Children and the Arts, where Prince Charles is a patron, referred itself to the Charity Commission after being named in media reports about the allegations.
The Scottish Charity Regulator has an open inquiry into The Prince’s Foundation, which is also subject to an ongoing police investigation over cash-for-honours claims.
Sir Ian Cheshire, the chair of trustees at PWCF, said: “The charity’s trustees sent the regulator a serious incident report on 27 June 2022.
“The report was filed on the basis that the Sunday Times article, in relation to historic donations between 2011 to 2015, had resulted in significant adverse publicity and risks significant harm to the charity’s reputation.
“PWCF ensures it remains compliant with all regulatory requirements and will respond to any enquiries from its regulators.”
Editor’s note 13 July: This article was amended to clarify why the Mahfouz Foundation and Burke’s Peerage Foundation are under investigation.