Michael Fawcett
Former valet to Charles and ex-chief executive of The Prince's Foundation
- Entries
- 12
- On the record
- 0
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Jan 7, 2025
The record
Michael Fawcett was chief executive of The Prince's Foundation, the charity renamed The King's Foundation in December 2023; the Charity Commission for England and Wales identifies him as its chief executive in September 2020. Beyond the cash-for-honours police inquiry, which the Metropolitan Police closed with no further action in August 2023, his record sits in two charity regulators' reports covering how the charity handled donations, loaned paintings and payments to his own events company.
The Scottish Charity Regulator, which oversees the foundation, opened its inquiry on September 9, 2021, and reported on January 7, 2025. Its report refers to him as the former CEO rather than by name. It found that insurance on loaned artwork lapsed in 2017 and the board was not told until a November 2019 review, and the charity told it that his events company had received payments through a third party contrary to a prior agreement with the board. He told the regulator the payments covered actual costs, and the earlier sums were repaid in full by December 2020.
The regulator said it was unacceptable for him not to brief trustees and that the charity had been exposed to substantial risk, but it did not find misconduct by him or by any trustee. Separately, the Charity Commission's inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation found that a £200,000 transfer arranged with him in September 2020 misapplied funds restricted for his charity, while noting that the Scottish-registered foundation was outside its remit.
Roles and honours on the record
Every entry, newest first
- Reported
Met Police said no further action would be taken; nobody had been arrested or charged, per The Telegraph. Michael Fawcett cash-for-honours: £1.5M donor, nobody charged
- Reported
The Prince's Foundation said he had formally resigned as chief executive, per Reuters. Michael Fawcett cash-for-honours: £1.5M donor, nobody charged
- Reported
Stepped down temporarily as chief executive of The Prince's Foundation after Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday reports, Sky News said. Michael Fawcett cash-for-honours: £1.5M donor, nobody charged
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 2017 Official Insurance on paintings loaned to the foundation lapsed, and the former CEO and another executive were told. The board was not informed until an external review in November 2019, the Scottish Charity Regulator found. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation, SC038770
- 2018 Official The charity told the regulator that his events company had received payments from it through a third-party company, contrary to a prior agreement with the board. He said the payments covered actual costs; the regulator said such payments were inappropriate without formal agreements. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation, SC038770
- 2019-12-19 Official Trustees held a closed board session on the unauthorised payments and the artwork without the executive present. No agenda, minutes or formal record exist, which the regulator called inappropriate. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation, SC038770
- 2020-09-25 Official An arrangement between Fawcett, then chief executive, and a third party sent £200,000 of a donor's money through the Mahfouz Foundation to Children and the Arts. The Charity Commission found this misapplied funds restricted for use by his charity. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report on The Mahfouz Foundation
- 2020-12 Official The earlier payments to his events company were repaid in full, after the third party returned that year's sums and he agreed to repay previous years', the Scottish Charity Regulator recorded. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation, SC038770
- 2021-09-09 Official The Scottish Charity Regulator opened an inquiry into the foundation after media reports between May and September 2021 and a notifiable event the charity filed in May 2021. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation, SC038770
- 2021-11-02 Official The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation, whose bank account had received donations intended for The Prince's Foundation. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report on The Mahfouz Foundation
- 2024-09-05 Official The Charity Commission published its report, finding misconduct and/or mismanagement by the Mahfouz Foundation's trustees, who had received an official warning. It said matters at the Scottish-registered foundation were outside its remit. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report on The Mahfouz Foundation
- 2025-01-07 Official The Scottish Charity Regulator reported that the former CEO's failure to brief trustees was serious and left the charity exposed to substantial risk, but found no misconduct by him or by any former or current trustee. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation, SC038770
Documents
Sources behind this file
- Sky News report on the Scottish regulator's findings
- The Telegraph report on the Met's decision
- The Guardian report on the pay-off and accounts
- The Times report on the file passed to prosecutors
- The Guardian report with the barrister's view
- BBC News report on the police investigation
- Third Sector report on the EY summary
- The Guardian report on the Charity Commission inquiry
- Reuters report on Fawcett's resignation
- The Guardian report on Clarence House statement
- Sky News report on Fawcett stepping down
- The Independent report with the 2017 letter