Prince Harry and Prince Charles' relationship seems to be on the rocks again. According to new reports, the Duke of Sussex threw his dad under the bus with his recent statement over the "cash for honours" scandal.
Prince Harry And Prince Charles' Relationship Remains Complex
The Sunday Times reported that Prince Harry agreed to meet Dr. Bin Mahfouz in 2013 after the latter donated a £50,000 donation to his charity, Sentebale.
The Duke of Sussex vehemently denied it by releasing a statement through his spokesperson. According to his rep, he already "severed ties with Mr. Mahfouz and his associates in 2015."
"It is disappointing that the Sunday Times, knowing all the facts, has chosen to encourage speculation by being deliberately vague to try to create a falsified link between the Duke of Sussex and the CBE scandal, of which he had no knowledge or involvement," the spokesperson said per Express.
"The Duke and his advisers, as well as his non-profit Sentebale, severed ties with Mr. Mahfouz and his associates in 2015, no longer accepting further donations to Sentebale and discontinuing any plans for a fundraising event amid growing concerns over the motives for his support. The Duke had one planned meeting with this donor nearly eight years ago, did not introduce him to any members of the royal family, and expressed his concerns about the donor."
However, according to Daily Mail's royal correspondent Rebecca English, Prince Harry threw Prince Charles under the bus with his statement. It was allegedly sprinkled with digs against the Prince of Wales.
Prince Charles wasn't aware of Prince Harry meeting Mahfouz in a west London pub. It was also unlikely for the heir apparent to encourage his charity to accept money from the Saudi billionaire, English added.
English added that if Prince Harry was concerned, he could have warned his father after seeing Mahfouz at his London residence the same day. She also cited a friend of Prince Charles who questioned Prince Harry's charity accepting the donation from Mahfouz.
"If Harry indeed had such deep concern about this man and his “motives,” then why on earth did he not tell his charity, Sentebale, to just hand the £50,000 he had given them back?’" the unnamed source said.
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How's Prince Harry And Prince Charles' Relationship
Last week, an insider spoke with Us Weekly about the father and son's relationship. According to the insider, they are already on speaking terms despite the alleged rift between them.
"Charles and Harry are in communication," the anonymous source told the outlet. "There [are] still a lot of issues the two of them need to work out and move forward."
Although they are already talking, the source said that "There is still a lot of work to do before their relationship is rebuilt."
However, it is unclear how the recent reports will affect their relationship.
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What You Need To Know About The Cash For Honours Scandal
The "cash for honours" scandal involved huge donations to royal charities to score knighthood. An investigation found out that the Saudi tycoon received a knighthood from the royal family after making a huge donation to The Prince's Foundation, a charity established by the Prince of Wales.
Prince Charles denied any knowledge offered for the British honor in lieu of donations to his charity.
Meanwhile, the three top-level employees of the charity, including Prince Charles' close aide Michael Fawcett resigned. The chief executive of the foundation also "temporarily stepped down" from his position.
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