Help Exit Considered a Necessary Step on Charles’ Path to Crown | prince charles

[ad_1]

After 40 years alongside his master, Michael Fawcett’s resignation as head of Prince Charles’ charitable arm amid an alleged money-for-honors scandal is a blow to the heir to the throne.

The announcement that the former valet, 59, has decided to step down from the Prince’s Foundation ahead of the outcome of an inquiry into the claims is seen by royal watchers as a necessary step on Charles’ path to the crown.

With confirmation that Fawcett’s party planning company will no longer provide services to the Prince, Clarence House is hoping it will be enough to end a potentially toxic case in which Fawcett is accused of promising to help get a knight’s title and British citizenship. for a Saudi billionaire donor.

The Mail on Sunday published a 2017 letter in which Fawcett reportedly said he was willing to apply to change Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz’s honorary CBE to a KBE and support his citizenship application.

The letter, written on letterhead in Fawcett’s capacity at the time as CEO of the Dumfries House Trust, stated that the applications would be made in response to the “most recent and anticipated support” of the trust.

When the claims emerged in September, Fawcett temporarily resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation, with Clarence House stressing that Charles had “no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors or British citizenship on the basis of ‘a donation to his charities’ and insisting that he was fully in favor of an investigation by the foundation.

In a statement Thursday evening, the foundation announced Fawcett’s resignation. A spokesperson for Clarence House said: “Michael Fawcett and [his company] Premier Mode will no longer provide services to us in the future. We have all agreed to end these arrangements.

The decision would be that of Fawcett, whose friends told the Daily Mail he was heartbroken and broken by events which had had a “devastating” effect on him. “Michael has resigned and he will never come back. He has lost five pounds and is just a shadow of himself,” said one.

The decision was reportedly made without seeing the investigation report, with Fawcett now feeling well enough to make a decision about his future.

Observers believe his resignation would not have been sanctioned unless it was approved by Charles, who once said of Fawcett: “I can get by without just about anyone, at except Michael. Crucially, it is said that Fawcett had recently lost the support of the Duchess of Cornwall, once a die-hard fan. Some courtiers are also said to have viewed his influence negatively.

“This is clearly a situation that required rapid resolution. In the royal world right now, there are several clouds in the sky: Fawcett, the trial of the Duchess of Sussex, the trial of the Duke of York and the question mark over the queen’s health. One less distraction is obviously a step in the right direction, ”said Joe Little, editor of Majesty magazine.

“I know Charles would have said years ago that Michael was the one person he couldn’t do without. But of course he will be. In the royal world, no one is indispensable,” Little added. He said Fawcett may well prove to be a tough act to follow in terms of fundraising abilities.

Clarence House’s severing of ties with Fawcett could be seen as a way to clean up bridges as Charles prepares for royalty. “It could be seen that way. I wonder if this is a decision Charles was reluctant to make, ”Little said. “It may well be that he saw that it wasn’t helpful for the big picture and that it was a decision he had no choice but to make. Lots of storage and housekeeping are needed before the new reign begins. And this is clearly a case in point.

However, royal biographer Penny Junor said Fawcett – a former footman who came to power – was so important to Charles as a repairman handling things exactly the way the prince wanted him to be able to still retain some influence. .

“I think he had to go. Damage limitation dictated he had to go. But how far it will go, I don’t know, ”she said. “I think he might still be there in one form or another. He has worked for the prince for so long. If Fawcett was upset and, say, decided to write his memoir, he knows better than anyone where all the bodies are buried.

“So I think the public night saw the last of him. But I would be very surprised if Charles cuts it off completely.

[ad_2]