Thread by @thesundaytimes

Exclusive: Prince Charles wrote a gushing thank-you letter to a Russian businessman, Dmitry Leus, offering to meet him days after receiving a six-figure donation for his charity
thetimes.co.uk/article/prince…

When the gift was made in May last year, Charles told Leus – a banker seeking British citizenship – that he was “incredibly grateful” for his “immense generosity” to the Prince’s Foundation and that the money had given him “great comfort”

He offered to meet him after lockdown, stating:

“I very much look forward to seeing you.”

Charles also met the paid fixer at the heart of the deal, William Bortrick, at one of his castles shortly after the payment was made

Leus made his donations only after Bortrick promised he would get a private meeting with Charles at a Scottish castle in return

The Prince’s Foundation accepted the money from Leus via an intermediary, a UK foundation belonging to a Saudi businessman but controlled by Bortrick

Weeks after the donation was made, Bortrick was invited to stay at the Castle of Mey, a royal residence in northern Scotland, where he went for a “beautiful” walk with Charles and his gardener

However, Leus’s donation had to be returned months later after the Prince’s Foundation’s ethics committee raised concerns about the Russian’s background. 

Leus had been found guilty in Russia of money-laundering before having his conviction overturned

However, after it was decided that the gift could not be accepted by the Prince’s Foundation, Leus was told by the charity’s deputy executive director, Chris Martin, that the money had instead gone to another charity of which Charles is patron, Children & the Arts

Yet last night Children & the Arts said it had no idea that any money had come to it from Leus, that they had not sent him any letter and that it was in the process of being wound up

It remains unclear what happened to Leus’s donation

Leus has publicly denied giving the donations in exchange for a meeting. However, in an email last December he wrote: “If it is not possible for you to arrange this meeting, I would prefer to get my family money back, and resume the conversation when the situation will improve.”

Clarence House said: “The Prince of Wales fully supports the investigation now under way at the foundation.”

A royal source described the prince’s letter as “routine” and said it did not constitute an invitation.

The Prince’s Trust said: “The trust has never taken any money from Dimitry Leus. Our ethics committee turned it down and this decision was ratified by our trustees on August 9, 2021.”
thetimes.co.uk/article/the-ru…