A former aide to Prince Charles has stepped down from his role as head of a foundation set up by Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son, amid a scandal over his ties to a Saudi businessman.
Michael Fawcett, Charles's former assistant valet, is suspected of having used his influence to help Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, a generous donor of charities linked to the British monarchy, to obtain a decoration, had revealed in early September the newspapers Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday.
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He "
resigned from his post as CEO of the Prince's Foundation,
" according to a spokesperson for the institution.
According to the Sunday Times, Mahfouz, 51, was made Commander of the British Empire by Prince Charles in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November 2016, an event that had not been published in the official list of royal engagements.
Receiving such a distinction made it possible to support the Saudi Arabian's claim for British nationality, according to the newspaper.
The Sunday Times reported that Mahfouz, who denies any wrongdoing, would have donated large sums of money to restoration projects of particular interest to the Prince of Wales.
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Michael Fawcett had initially resigned temporarily from his post as managing director of The Prince's Foundation, which he had held since 2018, but this resignation is now final, according to this foundation created by the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II.
Michael Fawcett had started working for the Royal Family in 1981 as the Queen's footman, rising through the ranks to becoming Prince Charles' assistant valet, helping him get dressed every morning.
In 2003, he was cleared of charges of financial misconduct relating to the sale of gifts to the royal family.
