King Charles III has had strong thoughts and feelings about the viral photo of his wife, Queen Camilla, that has generated headlines across the globe, most of them being negative.
While the Royal Family has been on holiday for the past couple of months, the workaholic King Charles has continued to make public appearances, despite his health issues and the summer heat.
King Charles has participated in numerous public engagements, including appearances at Scrabster Harbour and Ballater in Scotland, officially opening the Brora Heritage Centre, presenting a new standard to a Royal Air Force squadron, and delivering a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate Middleton have been enjoying some downtime across the Mediterranean and in the UK.
Queen Camilla also took a family cruise around Greece, and pictures of her on a superyacht were published on numerous websites, including The Daily Mail and The Mirror.
While Prince William and Kate Middleton’s rumored yacht vacation went relatively unnoticed, Queen Camilla’s escape is the talk of the UK because of the owner of the multimillion-dollar vessel.
Her Majesty and her family were staying on the yacht Zenobia, owned by Syrian-Saudi businessman Wafic Saïd.
Former Lib Dem minister Norman Baker slammed Queen Camilla and the Royal Family for what he described as breaking the strictly apolitical royal rule to benefit from an extravagant and free vacation.
Norman Baker, author of a new book on finances called Royal Mint, National Debt, said: “Members of the Royal Family really ought to consider the public perception of such episodes, whether they are on holiday or official business. They are representing the country at all times and, let’s be honest, it’s not as if they are short of cash. This is not a good look for Camilla, especially when the relationships between the royals and their associates are rightly called into question.”
According to The Mirror, Wafic Saïd is not a UK resident and therefore cannot contribute financially to British politicians.
However, he was a major donor to the Tories before rules were changed in 2000 to allow only those on the UK electoral register to give parties cash.
Mr. Saïd’s wife, Rosemary Saïd, has made substantial donations to the Conservative Party, totaling over £1.7 million ($2.3 million) in recent years.
These donations have been criticized and scrutinized by opposition politicians and campaigners who “question the source of the money and the potential for a foreign national to gain privileged access to senior Tory figures.”
With King Charles’s approval, the billionaire issued a lengthy statement defending Queen Camilla’s decision to accept the invitation to holiday on his yacht.
Mr. Saïd said: “The Parker-Bowles family have been close friends of mine for over 40 years. Tom Parker-Bowles was at school with my son, and Tom and Laura are like children to me. We have remained friendly with both Brigadier Parker-Bowles [Camilla’s ex-husband Andrew] and the Queen ever since. It is natural for me to offer my boat to close friends when I am not using it. I was therefore pleased to offer it to the family and glad to learn she is enjoying time with her children and grandchildren.”
Saïd was a key figure in the controversial 1980s Al-Yamamah arms deal between the UK and Saudi Arabia, which was investigated for alleged bribery and corruption.
In his statement about Queen Camilla’s trip, he addressed the scandal, saying: “On my past work, particularly Al Yamamah: in 1983 the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, asked me to advise on negotiations with the Saudi government. The deal, Britain’s largest ever export agreement, generated around £43 billion for UK companies and supported over 30,000 UK defence jobs. To those who criticise my role… would they rather I had declined, and the contract gone elsewhere? I have never bought or sold so much as a penknife, and any claim otherwise would be false and damaging. I have made no donations to the Conservative Party since becoming non-resident in the UK. My wife, a lifelong Conservative voter, has done so, which is a matter of public record. I do not see how her political affiliations are relevant to our friendship with the Parker-Bowles family.”
Mr. Saïd is a close friend, a donor to the King‘s Foundation (formerly the Prince’s Foundation), and a backer of the monarchy.
It has been reported that King Charles fully supports his wife’s decision to wind down with her children and grandchildren.
His Majesty is always happy when the royals are not using taxpayers’ money to fund their lifestyle.
