London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Inquiry into foundation linked to Prince of Wales launched

Inquiry into foundation linked to Prince of Wales launched

Charity Commission investigating claims donations intended for Prince’s Foundation went instead to Mahfouz Foundation
The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into allegations that donations intended for the Prince of Wales’ Prince’s Foundation went instead to the Mahfouz Foundation.

The investigation – which the watchdog revealed was formally begun at the beginning of November, will examine dealings at the Mahfouz Foundation – which was founded by the Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz.

Michael Fawcett, one of Charles’s closest confidantes, resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation last week after claims he allegedly promised to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for Dr Bin Mahfouz, a donor to the prince’s charity.

The commission said of the Mahfouz Foundation: “The commission has been engaging with its trustees since September after media reports alleged that donations, intended for the Prince’s Foundation, went instead to the Mahfouz Foundation. Some of these funds were then subsequently transferred elsewhere.”

The Prince’s Foundation, which is registered as a charity in Scotland, is under investigation by the Scottish Charity regulator after allegations made in the Sunday Times in September. The Scottish watchdog said the investigation was to “better understand” the Prince’s Foundation’s use of funds.

The Mahfouz Foundation appears to have been set up in 2012, to “promote and advance the education of the public in the UK in the history, literature, language, institutions and culture of the Middle East”. There is little information on the foundation website which shows only shows simply a photo of Mahfouz.

Mahfouz, a 51-year-old businessman and philanthropist, is the son of one of Saudi Arabia’s richest men, Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz. He has donated generously to Oxbridge colleges, as well as royal mansions and was given an honorary CBE by Prince Charles in a private ceremony in 2016.

According to the Sunday Times, the businessman’s aides began contacting the Prince of Wales in 2011 regarding a potential honour. Mahfouz had been advised that securing honorary roles and awards would aid his attempt to secure British citizenship or residency.

Leaked correspondence suggested that Fawcett had told Mahfouz that royal charities would be “happy and willing” to support his application for citizenship and help further upgrade the CBE to a knighthood.

A statutory inquiry is the most serious form of investigation undertaken by the charities watchdog. While opening such an inquiry is not an indication of wrongdoing, the commission emphasises they are not undertaken lightly, and normally follow extensive initial investigations.

It will look specifically at whether certain donations received by the Mahfouz Foundation were intended for the charity, and have been used in accordance with the donors’ intentions. It will assess whether the donations should be returned to the donor, or to another charity.

The Mahfouz Foundation’s Charity Commission filings show its annual income over the last five years has been just £10,000, meaning it is not subject to legal requirements to publish audited annual accounts.

The regulator has also identified concerns around the trustees’ governance and financial control of the charity. The Charity Commission lists just two individuals as trustees of the Foundation: Buseif-Hassan Lamlum and Craig Terence Nimmo.

In the event that wrongdoing is found, the Charity Commission has the power to ban trustees from charity boards, appoint the commission’s own trustees, or close the charity down. Inquiries can take months or even years.

The Mahfouz Foundation was approached for a response.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×