Prince accused of using status to sell access to Putin
An undercover investigation has claimed Prince Michael of Kent, cousin of Queen Elizabeth, was willing to use his royal status for personal profit and to seek favours from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Michael told undercover reporters posing as investors from South Korea in a virtual meeting that he could be hired for £10,000 (HK$108,530) a day to make “confidential” representations to Putin's regime.
The revelation was made by Channel 4 Dispatches in collaboration with The Sunday Times, who set up a fake gold company called House of Haedong and approached five members of the royal family with an offer of a role.
Michael responded by showing interest in working with the company, telling undercover reporters that he would give House of Haedong his royal endorsement in a recorded speech for a fee of US$200,000 and was happy to use his home in Kensington Palace as a backdrop.
Michael does not receive money from the civil list and earns a living acting as chairman of his own private company, which offers consultancy advice. He was also approached about a role helping the gold firm in Russia.
The programme said his business partner, Lord Simon Reading, had used an event at Kensington Palace in 2013, in which Michael was a guest, to sell access to Putin. The event also offered opportunities to personally meet the Russian leader at a later date, Dispatches found.
In a recorded meeting with the undercover reporters, Lord Reading said: “If he [Prince Michael] is representing the House of Haedong, he could mention that to Putin and Putin would find the right person who is interested in South Korea or interested in gold [...] It just opens the door, you know, which is so helpful.”
Michael’s office responded to the programme, saying: “Prince Michael has no special relationship with President Putin. They last met in June 2003 and Prince Michael has had no contact with him or his office since then.”