A philanthropist tries to sell a “private hearing” with Prince William and Kate Middleton for 20 thousand pounds: the reaction of the royal family

In exchange for the modest sum of 20,000 pounds (over 23,000 euros), a Filipino-Venza billionaire promised a meeting with Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Sunday Times has unmasked a certain Minerva Mondejar Steinerowner of an art gallery that sponsors the annual Royal Charity Polo Cupa tournament in which the principles of Wales participate, while trying to sell a “access to the royal family” to potential patronage.

Access to the Polo match, which will be held this year on 11 July, is possible only by invitation. These are distributed to donors who have signed checks (with several zeros) in favor of the associations supported by the Prince and the Princess of Wales. On behalf of his Mondejar Foundationthe billionaire sent an e-mail to club members A small worldan “international travel and lifestyle community” based in Switzerland. In exchange for a “charity donation” to “support the philanthropic action” of its own foundation, it offered them a “strictly private and confidential invitation to one of the most exceptional events of the season”, or the Royal Charity Polo Cup.

For 6,000 pounds (7,000 euros), patron could get an invitation. However, with an expense of 20,000 pounds, he was also entitled to “a private hearing with Prince William and Princess Catherine”. The invitation also included access to an “intimate context” to attend the matches, as well as a “refined lunch with champagne at will”, all in the company of “wealthy personalities”, the “world of luxury” and “cultural icons”. For 50,000 pounds (58,500 euros), the “access to the royal family” was accompanied by two VVIP invitations and a double advertising page in the Magazine of Minerva Mondejar Steiner, which she herself intended to distribute during the event.

The reaction of Prince William

Prince William “does not endorse this type of behavior”, assured a source close to Kensington Palace to the newspaper. An exchange between money and access has never been “questioned,” he would have made it known. According to the source, the palace was not aware of the billionaire projects, nor of the fact that it was using the event to raise funds for its charity works. Minerva Mondejar Steiner was immediately removed from the list of sponsors, said the source. The latter also indicated that the secretariat of Buckingham Palace carried out checks on the list of financiers of the event. However, he did not want to comment on the sum paid by the billionaire to obtain sponsor status.

Contacted, Minerva Mondejar Steiner preferred not to comment on the story. For its part, the A -Sall World company said she “not selling access to members of the British royal family or to facilitate private meetings with them”. Mondejar Steiner would have contacted them “directly”. “Believing that it was a relevant opportunity to support a philanthropic cause, a member of the Eventi Team has sent the invitation proactively to a restricted group of members,” they added.

The Royal Charity Polo Cup is held every year in the Windsor estate. The event, marked by the presence of Prince William in the field, allowed last year to collect 13 million pounds, equal to over 15.2 million euros. Usually in the front row to support her husband, the Wales Princess was forced to miss the latest edition, having temporarily withdrawn from public commitments to follow her treatment against cancer.