A remarkable cast of wealthy individuals from around the world have donated funds to the Prince’s Foundation.
As Prince Charles faces intense scrutiny over how he has raised money, The Mail on Sunday highlights some of the colourful characters who have provided financial support to the future king.
The ex Saudi spy chief: Turki bin Faisal al saud
A former director general of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence agency and later its ambassador to Britain, Turki Bin Faisal al Saud has been photographed arm-in-arm with Charles and between September 2004 and October 2005 served as a director of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, an arm of the Prince’s Foundation.
But Turki, 76, has a chequered past.
Ex-Saudi spy chief Turki Bin Faisal al Saud has been photographed arm-in-arm with Charles (above) and between September 2004 and October 2005 served as a director of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts
In 2002, two years before he was appointed director at the school, he was named in a multi-billion-pound lawsuit by families of 9/11 victims, alleging that he was among a group of Saudi princes who may have funded terrorists involved in the attack.
Turki has repeatedly and vociferously denied the claims, insisting he had had no contact with Osama Bin Laden since Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.
In 2005, he described al-Qaeda as ‘an evil cult’.
The billionaire dealer: Wafic Said
The Syrian-born Saudi billionaire was recognised as a ‘founding supporter’ during the restoration of Dumfries House, but he is also known as a middleman who profited from Britain’s ‘Al-Yamamah’ arms deal which involved the multi-billion-pound sale of fighter jets and warships to Saudi Arabia.
A major investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into allegations of corruption surrounding the deal were dropped amid claims the SFO had bowed to political pressure.
The Syrian-born Saudi billionaire was recognised as a ‘founding supporter’ during the restoration of Charles's Dumfries House
In 2009, Mr Said, pictured, was at the centre of claims that he had allegedly exploited a loophole to make donations to the Conservatie Party via his wife, which he strongly denies.
Said, whose homes around the world include Tusmore Park, a 3,000-acre estate in Oxfordshire, had previously given donations to the Tories. Between 2004 and 2006, Said reportedly gave £550,000 to the party at auctions.
‘$1m in his underwear’: Timur Kuanyshev
Kazakh oil magnate Timur and his wife Alfiya are prominent supporters of the Prince’s Foundation with a craft and skills centre named
