Always keen to find ways to support his charitable foundation, Prince Charles has teamed up with top jeweller Chopard to produce a special diamond-encrusted timepiece, the 18-carat gold “Calibre” watch, which will incorporate his emblem of crown and feathers. In return for this unprecedented authorisation, Chopard is to hand over £350,000 to the Prince’s Foundation.
But in the light of “Sophiegate”, when the Prince’s sister-in-law the Countess of Wessex was criticised for using her royal connections to further her PR business, the money-making scheme has come under fire. Prince Charles was at the forefront of a campaign advocating stricter guidelines on commercialisation for the royals after the scandal hit in April.
Sources at St James’s Palace have denied that there are any similarities between what is effectively a sponsorship deal and the Wessex affair, stressing that the proceeds from the watches will go to charity.
“If he had been keeping the money,” said the source, “or if it had been spent on polo ponies, then these would have been serious allegations, but there is no shame here because all the money is going to charity. There is absolutely no personal commercial gain to the Prince.”
Chopard is a big supporter of the Prince’s charities and made a contribution to the £150,000 party thrown in June at Highgrove for 300 patrons of the Prince’s Foundation. The first two editions of the ‘Calibre’ were given to Charles and his companion Camilla Parker Bowles at the glitzy dinner: the Prince is thought to have auctioned his for charity.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
