Queen Elizabeth II appeared in Scotland on Monday to kick off Holyrood Week 2022, marking her first public outing since her Platinum Anniversary celebrate.
The Queen took part in a centuries-old ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where she was joined by her son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
The 96-year-old sovereign, who still has mobility issues, used a walking aid on the apparition.
Later in the week, the queen will be joined by her son prince charles for assignments in Scotland.
The Prince of Wales, who recently… represented the queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda, made headlines the following weekend a Sunday Times investigation revealed that the heir to the throne accepted bags of cash from a Qatari politician years ago, and used the money for his personal charities.
Queen Elizabeth II attends the Ceremony of the Keys in the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on June 27 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)
The report said the prince accepted about $3.2 million in cash from Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who allegedly handed over money in a department store shopping bag and briefcase during meetings that took place between 2011 and 2015. .
Prince Charles’ Clarence House denied any allegations in a statement.
“Charitable donations received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were immediately passed on to one of the Prince’s charities who carried out proper governance and assured us that all proper processes were followed,” they said. told CNN in a statement.
While the money exchange may not technically be illegal, the anti-monarchy group Republic says it is calling on MPs, the Prince of Wales and the Charity Commission for England and Wales for greater transparency.
“This story is shocking. Prince Charles met Sheikh Hamad privately, with no officials present and without disclosure of the meeting in the court’s circular,” Republic CEO Graham Smith said in an emailed statement shared with HuffPost this weekend.
Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Platinum Pageant on June 5 in London, (Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)
“Sheikh Hamad is facing serious charges over human rights and has significant financial and other interests here in the UK,” Smith added. “As Prince Charles has direct access to the British Prime Minister and all government ministers, as well as all cabinet papers, this raises serious ethical questions about what the Sheikh expected in return.”
Prince Charles’ controversy follows a London police investigation launched last year the Sunday Times reported that one of Charles’s closest associates, Michael Fawcett, tried to help a Saudi citizen secure both knighthood and citizenship after a $2 million donation to The Prince’s Foundation.
“The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of awards or British citizenship on the basis of donations to his charities,” Clarence House said at the time. The former assistant resigned.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.