Clouded by another scandal, Prince Charles launches an offensive to clean up his image

After the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, bad news for the House of Windsor. Prince Charles, the next heir to the British throne, began his “prestige repair operation” after it was revealed that he had personally received one million euros in cash on behalf of the former Prime Minister of Qatar and had held 95 meetings with real of the Middle East 10 years ago, after the “Arab Spring”.

A link that allows Britain to maintain oiled relations with the Gulf monarchical autocracies and to sell arms, under a diplomatic real.

But the Gulf monarchs reward these visits with millionaire monetary gifts, as part of a tradition that created serious problems for King Emeritus Juan Carlos of Spain.

The prince “will never accept large cash donations on behalf of his charities again,” said a very elderly source at the royal palace on Thursday, who made it clear that he had not received any donations in the past five years.

“Operation Grandfather”

But the strangest news was the belated disclosure of how Prince Charles had a “very emotional first meeting with his niece Lilibet” and “his meeting with his grandson Archie during the visit of Harry and Meghan, the Dukes of Sussex,” during the celebrations of the Jubilee “.

The comment was made by the royal spokesman on Thursday when the meeting was three weeks ago. They had never officially addressed him, her and their grandchildren.

The heir was “absolutely delighted” to “see Harry, Meghan and their children together with Camilla during the jubilee celebrations” and as “part of the family”. The vocabulary belongs to the spokesperson.

the absent

The reality is that the Sussexes were the most conspicuous absentees at the Jubilee celebrations. They were removed from the royal balcony because only the “Royal Worker Family” could attend it and they had abandoned it.

His presence at St Paul’s Cathedral was ignored and the sixth heir to the throne was placed in the second row, along with his inactive cousins Real.

The Sussexes celebrated their daughter Lilibet’s birthday at their home in Frogmore Cottagge, with no significant visits from the royal family. Her grandparents didn’t go to the party. The queen met her niece but did not allow photos of her.

They left early for Santa Barbara, California, when the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations were not yet over, on their Bombardier charter plane. Now they are finishing a documentary about his life, which the Royal House fears.

At the same time, Buckingham Palace has buried the public appearance of the investigation into the alleged bullying of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to its staff and will never publish it.

Your lessons will be incorporated into your human resources policy. But they never interviewed Meghan or any employees to prove it. The Duchess and her lawyers have completely denied the allegations.

They accused them of wanting to turn her into a “scapegoat” when there was already a crisis between the Sussex and the palace officials, who were relegating them.

It has been speculated that the palace’s main concern at this time was avoid the risk of further confrontation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who denied allegations of bullying by Jason Knauf, their former communications secretary.

speculations and doubts

What’s going on? Prince Charles is trying to get out of this Qatari “diplomatic scramble” money bag because the queen might abdicate soon?

Even though he is in his Edinburgh mansion, smiling, happy and with his cane. DoIt is that he runs the risk of not being the heir? The royal house can be brutal when it comes to keeping the monarchy alive. Is there a reconciliation between Harry and his father?

The machine of the House of Windsor was launched to “positivize” the image of the Prince of Wales, which has not made it to the front page since Sunday The times of Sunday of London revealed the delivery of 3 million euros from Sheikh Hamad bin Hassin bin Jaber Al Thani to the British heir, in a succession of bags of money.

Officially it was for his charities and for the maintenance of his Scottish mansion: “It will never happen again,” the royal spokesman said.

It couldn’t be a worse time for that revelation. Carlos is in fact a regent for his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who suffers from “mobility problems”.

The queen would not officially abdicate if her health did not constrain her. there are days you have great difficulty in moving and others who walk without a cane and have returned to ride.

DoPrince Charles and his son Harry have reconciled? The goal of Clarence House, the prince’s residence, is to demonstrate that this rift no longer exists, that Harry and Meghan are part of the family, and he is “happy” to meet his new granddaughter and to “see Archie again”, who has turned 3 without seeing him.

It also shows that Harry and Meghan are now financially independent.

“A great credit to them. They said they wanted a transition to financial independence and that was achieved, “the royal source said.

sudden friendliness

But how do you explain this exuberance of warmth and love when the Sussexes were brutally isolated at the Jubilee?

The answer could be that Prince Charles you must officially show an image of functionality and familiar affection After so many dysfunctions, he mistreated Princess Diana with his deceptions, a bad relationship with William and Harry until now, after the crisis with the Sussex, the relationship with William is closer. Positive printing is your most dire need.

Harry, who resigned as a royal elderly in 2020, he had a troubled relationship with Prince Charles. He said he was disappointed and how his father stopped taking his calls at some point and didn’t help him financially when he was leaving the royal family.

He had to use the funds he had inherited from his mother, Princess Diana, to buy her house. When the sons of the Prince of Wales historically live off the millionaire funds of the Duchy of Cornwall, which the Royal Family has for this purpose. Like Prince William and his wife Kate.

The Sussexes left the monarchy in crisis, after using an interview with Oprah Winfrey to accuse an anonymous royal member of being racist towards her son before he was born, and the institution of not helping Meghan when she had suicidal thoughts during the pregnancy.

But a senior royal source, at Clarence House’s annual financial review briefing, said it was “wonderful” to have the Sussexes back in the UK in early June.

“It was great to see them. It was wonderful to have them back in Britain,” the source said.

“The prince obviously hasn’t seen his grandson Archie in a while, so it was very, very, very special spending time with him. He hadn’t met Lili, his niece, so meeting her was very emotional, very, very wonderful. “.

Earlier this month it emerged that the Sussexes did not spend any private time with Prince William, Kate and their children during the Jubilee. Her cousins ​​George, Charlotte and Louis, children of William and Kate, Dukes of Cambridge and heirs to the throne, do not know their American cousins. William and Harry still don’t speak.

A source said the brothers’ relationship remains “strained” following Sussex’s transatlantic “truth bombs” about the royal family on Oprah and podcasts in the United States.

Kate and William chatted with Prince Charles and Camilla inside St Paul’s Cathedral. But there was no sign of the same relationship with Harry and Meghan, who sat between Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, and had strict instructions to keep a low profile during the event.

It is surprising to find that Prince Charles was very happy to meet his niece a year after his birth and to see his nephew after three years. A charming and close grandfather.

Paris, correspondent

CB