Prince Charles Once Accepted A Seven-Figure Charity Donation From Osama Bin Laden's Family??

Prince Charles reportedly accepted a MAJOR donation from the family of Osama bin Laden nearly a decade ago.

A new report published in The Sunday Times this weekend indicated the 73-year-old royal accepted a $1.2 million contribution from the half-brothers of the late former Al Qaeda leader after a private meeting back in 2013.

According to the news outlet, Charles allegedly sat down with Bakr bin Laden at the British royal residence Clarence House in October of that year for a meeting. Following their interaction, Bakr reportedly donated $1.2 million to Charles’ charity, The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund (PWCF). It’s noted the donation came through even despite alleged “objections” from key advisors close to Charles.

Bakr and Shafiq are half-brothers of the more infamous bin Laden, who had been killed by US special forces in Pakistan two years earlier. Both siblings previously publicly disowned Osama back in 1994 due to his terrorist activities, and there is no indication the brothers were ever involved with Al Qaeda. Still, the Prince’s advisory team was understandably concerned by the implicit association that would come from accepting the money.

A source in the Sunday Times report claimed Charles allegedly “brokered” the deal himself and accepted the donation, all while overruling the objections of those around him. Some staffers even supposedly asked him to return the $1.2 million after the transaction went through — which Charles is said to have refused to do.

In multiple comments reacting to the report, Clarence House officials and PWCF org leaders confirmed the donation. However, they denied the specifics of how it supposedly came together. A spokesperson for Clarence House released a statement claiming the PWCF did their “due diligence” before accepting the donation:

“The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund has assured us that thorough due diligence was undertaken in accepting this donation. The decision to accept was taken by the charity’s Trustees alone and any attempt to characterise it otherwise is false.”

The chair of the PWCF, Sir Ian Cheshire, also responded to the report. In a statement delivered to People, the charity leader said the org “carefully considered” the donation before proceeding. He claim they even had the blessing of government officials in accepting the money:

“The donation from Sheik Bakr Bin Laden in 2013 was carefully considered by PWCF Trustees at the time. Due diligence was conducted, with information sought from a wide range of sources, including government. The decision to accept the donation was taken wholly by the Trustees. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate.”

Hmmm…

While the PWCF is adamant nothing was unethical, this marks one more time Charles’ charity has come under fire. Last month, the Sunday Times revealed Prince Charles once accepted $3 million in cash (!!!) from the former prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasseim bin Jaber Al Thani. That donation, which reportedly occurred sometime between 2011 and 2015, is said to have happened when the Sheikh handed Charles the money “in bags” in his office. Holy s**t…

Following that bombshell, a source within Charles’ staff said the royal would “never again” accept a large cash donation for his charity endeavors, per People. The Charity Commission, which oversees non-profit organizations in the United Kingdom, declined to take action in that instance.

And in February of this year, Charles was accused in another charity charge. In that one, Prince William‘s father allegedly engaged in a “cash-for-honours” scheme involving donations to the PWCF from a Saudi national seeking British citizenship and status. Seems like it never ends with the royal family. And it’s certainly not just Charles. Jeez!! Reactions, Perezcious readers??

[Image via MEGA/WENN/60 Minutes/YouTube]