Prince Charles denies any wrongdoing over donation

LONDON Prince Charles’ office has denied there was any wrongdoing in the heir to the British throne accepting bags full of cash as charity donations from a Qatari politician.

The Sunday Times said the prince was given a total of 3 million euros ($3.2 million U.S.) by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar. It said the money was handed over to Charles at private meetings between 2011 and 2015 — on one occasion in a suitcase, and on another in shopping bags.

The newspaper said the money was deposited into the accounts of the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund. It did not allege that anything illegal was done.

Charles’ office, Clarence House, said in a statement that the donations “were passed immediately to one of the prince’s charities who carried out the appropriate governance and have assured us that all the correct processes were followed.” The prince’s charitable fund told the newspaper it had verified “that the donor was a legitimate and verified counterparty … and our auditors signed off on the donation after a specific enquiry during the audit. There was no failure of governance.”