Calls for inquiry into claims Charles accepted €3m from Qatari sheikh

Prince Charles is facing fresh controversy over the funding of his charities, with calls for the government and the Charity Commission to investigate claims he accepted €3min cash from a billionaire Qatari sheikh.

- Caroline Davies

Claims in the Sunday Times that Charles accepted three donations between 2011 and 2015 from the former Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani - known as "HBJ" - were described as "shocking" by critics. One donation, totalling €1m, was reportedly handed over in a small suitcase and another was stuffed in a carrier bag from the upmarket department store Fortnum & Mason.

The cash, allegedly then counted by Charles's aides and subsequently collected by Coutts bank, was paid to the Prince of Wales's charitable fund, which aims to "transform lives and build sustainable communities" through awarding grants. The fund told the Sunday Times that its trustees had concluded the donor was legitimate and that its auditors had signed off on the donation.

Although there is no suggestion of any illegality, or that Charles offered anything in return for the generous donations, critics said it raised serious concerns about the future king's personal judgment, especially given Qatar's record on human rights.

One described it as more like the actions of a "South American drug baron" than a future king, while another said the image of Charles's aides counting out the cash was like a scene from Only Fools and Horses.