King Charles and his royal family have faced criticism for failing to disclose their official gifts for the past four years, despite a previous promise to release an annual list. The palace officials have cited various reasons, such as the pandemic, the change of reign, and the planning for last year’s coronation, for not being able to publish details of the gifts received by the royal family members.
This lack of transparency comes after a cash-for-honours scandal involving the king’s charitable foundation, as well as controversies surrounding gifts received by members of the royal family in the past. Unlike Members of Parliament who are required to register gifts, donations, and hospitality, there is no public register of interests for the royal family. Instead, they rely on the advice of their private secretaries to decide what to declare.
Annual gift lists were introduced to address concerns about the origin of lavish gifts, such as jewellery given to Queen Camilla by a Saudi royal in 2006. However, the last list published in April 2020 only covered gifts received in 2019, with no subsequent updates.
In the past, official gifts have led to controversies, such as when the king of Bahrain and his country’s prime minister gave a “suite of jewels” to Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie. Despite the sensitive nature of some gifts, they are not the personal property of the royals but are accepted on behalf of the nation.
There have been instances where the true origin of gifts was not disclosed, such as the £500,000 diamond chandelier earrings given to the Duchess of Sussex by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The lack of transparency around official gifts has raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest and attempts to influence the royal family.
Calls for full disclosure of official gifts have come from Republic, an organization advocating for an elected head of state. They argue that the royal family’s access to government officials and potential influence necessitates transparency in disclosing received gifts.
Despite the criticism, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace has stated that the royal gifts lists will be published in due course. The need for transparency and accountability regarding official gifts remains a point of contention, highlighting the importance of upholding high standards for the royal family.
