Prince Harry Clapped Back At Claims He Mishandled Royal Funds
Prince Harry is currently living a low-key life in Los Angeles, but he can't seem to catch a break from criticism. Back in the UK, anti-monarchy campaigners are accusing the prince of mishandling royal funds, specifically $350,000 worth. The accusations didn't sit well with the Duke of Sussex, who has since issued a statement shutting down the claims. Prince Harry's response to claims he mishandled royal funds was well warranted.
The messy news also involves Prince William, who oversaw the Royal Foundation alongside his brother. Claims surfaced after Prince Harry's departure from The Royal Foundation because the funds the princes had built together had to be split up. A group of anti-monarchy campaigners called Republic isn't happy with the division and is particularly upset with how much money went to Travalyst, Prince Harry's eco-tourism venture.
Republic Chief Executive Graham Smith reported Harry after seeing where he allocated the funds and released a lengthy statement condemning the decision.
"Maybe I'm missing something here, but I find it difficult to believe that a charity making an independent and impartial decision would decide to make these payments. The Royal Foundation has lost almost £300,000 to Prince Harry's pet projects," he said. He noted that Travalyst isn't a registered charity, and accused Harry of using the money for self-interest. "People donate money to a charity expecting it to be used to fund the charity's objectives, not to be given away to support a patron's other projects," he said.
It didn't take long for a royal spokesperson to respond the claims.
"The Duke of Sussex has always and continues to remain deeply committed to his charitable work. This is his life's focus, and his devotion to charity is at the very core of the principles he lives by, and is obvious through the impact and success of his many charitable projects throughout the UK and beyond," the statement read.
The spokesperson then said the accusations being made against the Duke are "deeply offensive."
"It is both defamatory and insulting to all the outstanding organisations and people he has partnered with. Travalyst (which was founded within Sussex Royal) is a nonprofit organisation for which The Duke receives no commercial or financial gain, as is the case with all of his charitable commitments. The Duke has not, nor has he ever, had any personal financial interest in his charitable work. All of The Duke's charitable activities are fully transparent as well as compliant with Charity Commission guidelines, and moreover with his own moral compass."
Harry and Megan first introduced Travalyst to the world in September 2019.
He may have taken a step back from the spotlight, but, even so, Harry isn't letting defamatory comments slide.