How Charles aide Fawcett fixed up his Repair Shop visit

THE King’s appearance on BBC’s The Repair Shop was arranged by a senior aide who quit amid controversy, it can be revealed.

Millions of viewers watched as Charles, then Prince of Wales, sought to find out about restoring priceless Royal artefacts.

But The Mail on Sunday has learned that his former close adviser Michael Fawcett orchestrated the television slot, which was filmed before the Queen died and was broadcast last month as part of the Corporation’s centenary celebrations.

Mr Fawcett resigned as the chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation after the MoS printed a letter in which he offered to help a Saudi tycoon, who denied any involvement, obtain British citizenship and a knighthood in exchange for generous donations to Charles’s charities. A police investigation is ongoing.

Yet loyal friends of Mr Fawcett say the new King’s BBC appearance was the aide’s last successful act of service before the row over donations.

A source said: ‘Credit where credit’s due to Michael on this one.

‘He has long been a big fan of the show and saw that there were huge synergies between what they do at Dumfries House and on the programme. So he had a call with them to see what might be possible.’

Viewers saw the future King Charles speaking to presenter Jay Blades about repairing grandfather clocks and a ceramic piece made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee that had been knocked off a ledge by someone who ‘didn’t own up’.

When expert Kirsten Ramsay presented the repaired piece, he said: ‘It’s fantastic’, adding: ‘I think it is utterly wonderful.’