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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Katie Weston

Prince Charles 'accepted £1million donation from the family of Osama Bin Laden'

Prince Charles accepted £1 million from the family of Osama bin Laden, it has been claimed.

The Prince of Wales' charity reportedly received the donation from Bakir and Shafiq Bin Laden - the half-brothers of Osama Bin Laden - after a meeting at Clarence House in London on October 30, 2013.

The alleged payment came two years after the al-Qaeda founder was tracked down to a compound in Abbottobad, Pakistan, and killed in a raid by US special forces.

The money was deposited at the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation (PWCF), reports The Sunday Times.

One palace insider told the newspaper: “The fact that a member of the highest level of the British establishment was choosing to broker deals with a name and a family that not only rang alarm bells, but abject horror around the world . . . why would you do this?

Osama Bin Laden's brother, Bakr Bin Laden (Daily Record)

"What good reason is there to do this?"

They continued: "I just didn’t feel any member of the British royal family should be involved in that sort of undertaking."

Another source recalled "great fear" over the payment affecting the reputations of both Charles and the charity.

A Clarence House spokesperson said: "The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund has assured us that thorough due diligence was undertaken in accepting this donation.

"The decision to accept was taken by the charity’s Trustees alone and any attempt to characterise it otherwise is false."

Charles also allegedly accepted more than €3million in cash donations from an ex-PM of Qatar (AFP via Getty Images)

A PWCF spokesperson added: "The donation from Sheik Bakr Bin Laden in 2013 was carefully considered by PWCF Trustees at the time. Due diligence was conducted, with information sought from a wide range of sources, including government.

"The decision to accept the donation was taken wholly by the Trustees. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate."

The astonishing allegations come after it was reported that Charles allegedly accepted more than €3million in cash donations from an ex-PM of Qatar – including €1million in a suitcase.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani is said to have handed banknotes over in meetings between 2011 and 2015.

The €1million in a suitcase was said to have been handed over during a meeting at Clarence House.

On another occasion, cash was stuffed into carrier bags from upmarket London store Fortnum and Mason.

The money was given in €500 notes – a now discontinued denomination dubbed the “Bin Laden” for its links to terrorist financing.

Clarence House insisted the money was “passed immediately to one of the prince’s charities who carried out the appropriate covenants and assured us all correct procedures were followed”.

The charity in question is the Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund. It is understood that at least one trustee had no knowledge of the funds.

In addition, none of Charles’ meetings with Al Thani appear on the Court Circular record of royal engagements.

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