Now Qataris put money into Queen Mum’s castle
ACCUSED of corruption in their successful bid to host football’s 2020 World Cup, the Qataris have nevertheless been welcomed to the heart of our Establishment.
I hear that the al-Thani family who rule the gas-rich Gulf state are now helping to pay for the upkeep of the Queen Mother’s beloved Scottish retreat, the Castle of Mey.
In return for their ‘generous’ financial support for the castle — which the Queen Mother bought in 1952 after the death of her husband King George VI — Sheik Hamad bin Abdullah alThani has become vice-president of The Friends of the Castle of Mey.
‘The role is a vivid illustration of how the Qataris have bought their way into the heart of royal life,’ one courtier tells me with a hint of trepidation. ‘I’m not sure it’s going to end well.’
The Castle of Mey Trust chairman, Ashe Windham, confirms the sheik, the Emir of Qatar’s cousin, has become a vice-president and says his support is ‘greatly appreciated’, but declines to disclose the amount he donated.
The sheik is entitled to a private viewing of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London as a thank-you, as well as a lavish banquet in his honour. However, Windham says the sheik has not yet taken up the offer.
Prince Charles stays at the Castle of Mey in Caithness for a week each summer and the Queen thanked the sheik for his support in person last month at a London party co-hosted by her cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, who is paid by the Qataris to be their public relations woman and social fixer. The sheik’s new role is just the latest example of the al-Thanis’ growing importance in British life.
After buying Harrods for about £1.5 billion, the Qataris snapped up a string of London landmarks, including the Olympic Village and Europe’s tallest building, the Shard.
The Queen even gave her permission for the Qataris’ holding company, Qipco, to become Royal Ascot’s first commercial partner last summer.
Its sponsorship led to some controversy, however, when members of the al-Thani family were said to have t aken umbrage at not being sufficiently feted at the races.
Former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore claimed that, shortly after the dispute, Lady Elizabeth was in tears, amid reports that she had been summarily dismissed by the Qataris.
To add to the confusion, Lady Elizabeth, who had arranged the al-Thanis’ i nvolvement i n Ascot, was l ater reported to have been reinstated. The Qataris’ support for the Castle of Mey could be seen as a peace offering.