Prince Harry cuts ties with Prince Charles' Saudi billionaire donor

In a move that will likely cause further tension within the royal family, Harry reveals he severed ties with Mahfouz, a full year before his father cut off contact. Photo / Getty Images

The Duke of Sussex has revealed the reason he cut ties with a billionaire donor who has ties with his father, Prince Charles.

Prince Harry has revealed, in a statement, that he cut ties with his father's Saudi billionaire donor as he did not trust his "motives".

In a move that will likely cause further tension within the royal family, Harry has revealed that he severed ties with the controversial Saudi billionaire, Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, a full year before his father cut off contact.

The Sunday Times has reported that Prince Harry met with Mahfouz in 2013. The meeting took place in a pub in Chelsea, West London after he gave £50,000 ($97,960) to his charity, Sentebale, founded after his gap year in Lesotho. The Duke of Sussex posed for photos with the Saudi billionaire at the time.

Harry's statement comes in the wake of an investigation into Prince Charles' charity foundation after his aide Michael Fawcett, 58, was accused of orchestrating a knighthood for Mahfouz in return for charitable donations.

Prince Charles has come under extreme criticism over the charity scandal and Michael Fawcett (left) was forced to resign as head of The Prince's charity foundation last month. Photo / Getty Images

Despite having received numerous donations from Mahfouz, Prince Harry now claims that he had nothing to do with the "CBE scandal", as it has been dubbed and expressed "concerns" about the Saudi billionaire years earlier.

Prince Charles has come under extreme criticism over the charity scandal and Fawcett was forced to resign as head of The Prince's Foundation last month.

A spokesman for Harry said: "The Duke and his advisers, as well as his non-profit Sentebale, severed ties with Dr Mahfouz and his associates in 2015, no longer accepting further donations to Sentebale and discontinuing any plans for a fundraising event amid growing concerns over the motives for his support.

"The Duke had one planned meeting with this donor nearly eight years ago, did not introduce him to any members of the royal family, and expressed his concerns about the donor."

Prince Harry also criticised the way his role was reported by the Sunday Times, with the spokesman adding: "It is disappointing that the Sunday Times, knowing all the facts, has chosen to encourage speculation by being deliberately vague to try to create a falsified link between the Duke of Sussex and the CBE scandal, of which he had no knowledge or involvement."

In 2016 Charles presented Mahfouz with an "honorary" CBE in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Fawcett came to the attention of the police after a letter showed he was "willing and happy" to help Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz get a knighthood and British citizenship as long as he donated £1.5 million ($2.9 million).

Meanwhile, according to The Times, Prince Charles is ready to speak with the police in order to help with the investigation, if required.