Prince William will one day become king, making him an extremely important person on the world stage. According to a new report in The Sunday Times, a wealthy donor known to the Royal Family was found attempting to "sell access" to the Prince of Wales and the influence he carries. Luckily, the plan was foiled and Kensington Palace was able to halt any potential security breaches.
According to The Sunday Times, a Filipina-Swiss gallery-owner and millionaire named Minerva Mondejar Steiner "attempted to sell access to [Prince William] for £20,000 [approximately $27,400]." Mondejar Steiner's "art gallery was an official sponsor of William's annual charitable polo event," a connection they were allegedly hoping to exploit.
The former royal donor allegedly "offered a private meeting with the prince in exchange for cash," as well as attempting to charge advertisers as much as $68,500 "to feature in a magazine handed out at the fundraiser."
The Royal Charity Polo Cup match is only open to a select group of invitees. However, according to The Sunday Times, Mondejar Steiner asked wealthy individuals to donate to her own charitable fund in exchange for an invitation to the Prince of Wales's event.
The former royal donor "offered a private meeting with the prince in exchange for cash."
In an email reportedly sent by the gallery-owner, and seen by The Sunday Times, recipients were told, "Patron contributions: £6,000 [$8,200]—admission for one patron. £20,000 [$27,400]—includes full access plus a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine."
The royal donor offered "a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine."
"The charity polo event has been operated on the basis of strict confidentiality and the palace tends to publicly announce William's involvement and publish photographs after it has taken place," The Sunday Times noted. As a result, any attempt to breach the privacy of the sporting event could be of concern to the Royal Family.
According to the outlet, Kensington Palace revealed that "William did not 'condone' the behavior outlined in the email," and they would "terminate" any "relationship with the sponsor." GB News reported that "immediate action was taken" to stop the individual's unsanctioned plan.
