Qatar has sparked significant controversy over its hosting of the World Cup – but it’s not the only time the country has found itself in the spotlight this year.
In June, The Sunday Times reported that King Charles – then a prince – was alleged to have received cash donations totaling €3m (almost £2.6m) for his Prince of Wales charity from the former prime minister of Qatar.
While the paper reported “there is no allegation the payments were illegal”, it said Charles received three tranches of cash personally from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister from 2011 to 2005.
On one occasion, The Times said, Sheikh Hamad handed Charles €1 million in notes stored in paper bags from Fortnum & Mason, the London luxury store that has a royal charter, raising “serious questions about the personal judgment” of the new monarch.
Afterwards, it was widely reported that Charles said cash bag donations made to his charities “will not be returned”. A month later, the charity committee refused to open an investigation, saying that it “has no concerns.”
Charles’ long-standing relationship with the former Qatari prime minister has reportedly been close, with Sheikh Hamad gifting the British monarch a £147,000 horse and reportedly “contributing to the upkeep of one of his castles in Scotland”.
Britain and Qatar have a long-standing relationship, with the BBC saying that “at the core” of Britain’s relationship with the Gulf state “is gas”.
The small country is one of the largest exporters of liquefied natural gas in the world, and the second largest supplier to the UK.
However, the ties between the two countries go beyond energy.
Qatar’s ruling family and sovereign wealth fund – the Qatar Investment Authority – own parts of London, including Harrods, 20% of Heathrow Airport and the Shard.
Elsewhere in her portfolio are 6% of Barclays Bank, 7% of the London Stock Exchange and 15% of Sainsbury’s.
In 2018, the late Sir David Ames MP called the country “a valued ally of the UK”, highlighting the defense cooperation between the two countries which “contributes significantly to the UK economy”.
But it is the royal family who are said to have helped play a key role in maintaining strong relations with the Qatari ruling family.
According to CNN, “Much of Britain’s traditional control of the region was rooted in monarchies that it imposed or supported through close ties to its royal family.”
He quoted an academic, Christian Ulrichson, as saying: “The royal family has provided a means for Britain to create and maintain decades-long links with ruling elites… in ways that would be difficult for elected political leaders to replicate.”
The late Queen Elizabeth shared a good relationship with the House of Al-Thani – Qatar’s ruling family – as well as an interest in horse racing.
Holding company Qatar Investments & Projects Development (QIPCO) became the first ever sponsor of Royal Ascot in 2014.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attended the Queen’s funeral in September, and according to the “Guardian”, “his cousin, the horse racing enthusiast Hamad bin Abdullah, was among the even more elite group at her engagement at Windsor Castle.”
The Sheikh was also one of the last foreign rulers to visit the Queen in May, in what will be one of her last engagements as her health declines.
Queen Elizabeth visited Qatar in 1979 and in 2010 hosted the then Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani during a state visit.
In her speech at the state banquet, the Queen called the Qatari people “old and valued friends” and expressed her hope that Britain would be a “home from home” for them.
She also said that “the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom, as well as our two families, have been in close contact with each other for a long time,” noting that “her two sons, Charles and Andrew, have gotten to know Qatar well.”
Until 2011, Prince Andrew served as Britain’s Special Representative for Trade, a role he relinquished in July of that year following mounting criticism of his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, despite officially relinquishing the role of trade envoy, Andrew continued to hold meetings around the world relating to British trade, with “meetings with 15 ministers from foreign governments in Qatar, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia” taking place in the six months following his relinquishment.
Initially, Buckingham Palace protected Andrew continuing this work, as did the government.
The UK Trade and Investment Department (UKTI) was quoted as saying at the time that Andrew was “particularly valuable in some parts of the world where continuity is valued over an ever-changing workforce”.
