Prince Charles accepted £1million from Osama bin Laden’s family for charity
PRINCE Charles was engulfed in a fresh storm last night after it emerged he accepted £1million from Osama bin Laden’s family.
He took the cash from brothers of the terrorist mastermind behind 9/11 and it was eventually deposited into his charity, the Sunday Times said.
Future king Charles, 73, received the money from Bakr and Shafiq bin Laden — paternal half-brothers of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama.
He brokered the deal after a private meeting at Clarence House with Bakr, 76, on October 30, 2013 — two years after US special forces killed Bin Laden, 54, in Pakistan.
The Prince of Wales banked the donation despite advisers urging him to return it over fears being associated with Bin Laden’s family could be catastrophic to his reputation.
They are said to have warned him his image would be tarnished if his name appeared in the same sentence as Bin Laden, it was reported.
READ MORE ON PRINCE CHARLES
A total of 2,977 people were killed, including 67 Brits, and more than 6,000 injured in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the New York World Trade Center and other locations in the US — involving four hijacked planes.
Osama bin Laden was the leader of the al-Qaeda terror group and inspired the attacks while hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan.
One household staff member reportedly told Charles “it would not be good for anybody” if it was revealed in the media he had taken cash from Bin Laden’s family.
The money went to the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation (PWCF). At least one trustee was reportedly among those pleading with him to hand back the money.
Most read in The Sun
A source told The Sunday Times: “The fact 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?
“What good reason is there?”
One palace insider told the newspaper there was a “great fear” the donation would undermine Charles and the charity’s reputation.
Charles — who dined with Bakr two weeks after 9/11 to “discuss Islamic faith” — is said to have believed it would have been too embarrassing to give the money back.
PWCF chairman Sir Ian Cheshire said the donation was “wholly” agreed by its five trustees at the time.
A charity insider said approval was given after the funds were deposited into the charity’s Coutts bank account.
They were allegedly placed on hold until a later discussion, with the source saying this was in line with Charity Commission rules.
It is the latest woe for Charles, weeks after it was revealed he had accepted a million euros in cash from the ex Qatar Prime Minister.
There is no suggestion Bakr or Shafiq have been involved in terrorism.
Read More on The Sun
Clarence House said: “The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund has assured us that thorough due diligence was undertaken.
“The decision to accept was taken by the charity’s trustees alone.”