Prince Charles' foundation asked to answer lobbying allegations

The Prince of Wales' architecture charity has been forced to explain its relationship with the prince following allegations that it is acting as his 'private lobby firm.'

The Charity Commission has raised a number of concerns with the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment on complaints that the organisation had exceeded its remit and tried to influence a number of planning decisions.

The anti-monarchy group Republic complained to Charity Commission claiming that Charles had used his organisation to enforce his 'personal tastes'.

According to Graham Smith, a spokesman for the organisation, the Charity Commissions' reply to its complaint indicated that there were serious questions to be answered about the relationship with Prince Charles and the charities he has set up and whether they were pursuing a public good or working for Charles' personal benefit.

The group said it believed the relationship between Prince Charles and the charities he had set up must be clarified to ensure that they are not being used as his own private lobby firms. 

The group's complaint was based on reports in the Guardian newspaper last month that Charles had used private pressure to influence the country's planning process.