Met Police passes file on cash-for-honours allegations to prosecutors

Evidence relating to an alleged cash-for-honours scandal involving one of King Charles III’s charities has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, police have said.

The Met Police began investigating after newspapers alleged a former aide to the then Prince offered to help a Saudi donor secure a knighthood.

The force said the probe was “ongoing”.

A spokesperson for Charles previously said he had “no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours”.

Anti-monarchy group Republic made a formal complaint to Met detectives about Charles and former close confidant Michael Fawcett in September 2021, following the newspaper stories.

Mr Fawcett, who has since resigned as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation, had been accused of promising to help a Saudi billionaire donor achieve British citizenship and the honour.

The Met said: “A file was passed to the CPS on 31 October.

“The investigation remains ongoing and we will not be providing a running commentary on its progress.”

In September, police said a man aged in his 50s and a man in his 40s had been spoken to under caution on 6 September, two days before the Queen died and Charles became King.

It is understood the King has not been spoken to by police, nor has he been requested to do so.

Buckingham Palace said it would not comment on an ongoing police inquiry.

When the investigation was opened in February, a spokesperson for Charles at Clarence House said the then Prince of Wales had “no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities”.

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