Inquiry into King's Foundation finds Charles' former right-hand man 'exposed charity to substantial risk'

7 January 2025, 17:12 | Updated: 7 January 2025, 19:33

An inquiry into the King's Foundation has concluded some of the actions of Michael Fawcett, once the King's right-hand man, left the charity "exposed to substantial risk".

The three-year inquiry found no evidence of misconduct by the foundation's trustees or Mr Fawcett, but said it was "unacceptable" he hadn't briefed colleagues on issues which had arisen about donations and funding.

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator opened its investigation in September 2021 following reports of a cash-for-honours scandal involving the charity.

It concluded that the historical governance of the foundation "hadn't always been up to the standard required" when it came to decision making and record keeping.

This is the last of several major investigations into the foundation, which has been mired in allegations about its funding, management and wealthy donors.

The King's former valet and close confidante, Michael Fawcett, was the foundation's chief executive until his resignation in 2021, stepping down after questions over his governance.

Investigations began after a CBE was awarded to a Saudi billionaire who had made £1.5m of donations to the Foundation.

Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz was given the honour in 2016 in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

The King's Foundation, formerly known as the Prince's Foundation, is an educational charity set up by the King while he was Prince of Wales.

Its works involves a range of sectors including, sustainability, farming, traditional arts and architecture.

He was one of the most generous donors to the foundation, paying large sums to several projects.

He even had a woodland at the Castle of Mey named after him. The castle now owned by the King was once the private residence of the Queen Mother.

But questions were raised after allegations Dr Mahfouz had fixers with links to the King who told him they were able to help secure the award.

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Mr Fawcett assisted with the application process and reportedly helped upgrade the award to an honorary CBE. It was reported he had also helped with an application for UK citizenship.

A Metropolitan Police investigation concluded no further action would be taken into the allegations.

Mr Fawcett worked closely with the King as Prince of Wales and was reportedly the one person Charles could not live without.

One of the foundation's biggest projects was the renovation of Dumfries House, a large stately home in Scotland. The significant repair bill relied on large donations from wealthy donors.

This report was published by the Scottish charity regulator as the King's Foundation is registered in Scotland.

The regulator started its investigation to "better understand" how the funds of the Prince's Foundation were used, and to "gain a full understanding of the work" carried out by the charity's trustees to look into the issues.

It has been one of the longest and most extensive investigations carried out by the regulator, and it's understood Mr Fawcett fully cooperated with the inquiry team.

Under charity rules, trustees and managers must act in the interests of the charity and comply with their legal duties, particularly they must ensure all funds are spent in line with the charity's purposes.

(c) Sky News 2025: Inquiry into King's Foundation finds Charles' former right-hand man 'exposed charity to substantial risk'