Prince Charles' Architecture Foundation Faces Investigation Following Complaint

Britain's Prince Charles' architecture foundation is facing investigation over claims he uses it "as a private lobbying firm." The Charity Commission is considering launching an inquiry into the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment after campaign group Republic lodged an official complaint.

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They claim Charles exerts "undue influence" on the foundation, forcing it to get involved in controversial planning matters, like the Chelsea Barracks redevelopment plan.

A spokesman for Republic told Britain's Guardian newspaper: "We believe Charles's charities are behaving as private lobbying firms. Their mission seems to be to ensure that Charles gets his views heard by government rather than promoting good causes in an independent manner."

"The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment is a registered charity, but it is acting like a political lobby group. Charles is deliberately using the foundation to circumvent the democratic planning process and enforce his personal tastes.

"It has a quite staggering level of influence, which is entirely inappropriate for a charitable organization."

The Prince's Foundation chief executive Hank Dittmar branded the complaint "ridiculous."

He said the organization worked "independently with various developers, charities and associations, university and colleges, architects and communities to improve the quality of people's lives by teaching and practicing timeless and ecological ways of planning, designing and building."

The 60-year-old royal was accused of "single handedly destroying" the Chelsea Barracks development project after he wrote a letter to the Qatari royal family - which owns the site - to complain about the "modernist" look of the proposed buildings.

His actions led to the £3 billion [$5 billion] proposals being abandoned in June, just days before it was due to be considered by Westminster council.

After asking The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment to suggest alternative architects, the developers have compiled a shortlist of 10 firms who have been invited to submit their ideas for the site.

Half of those companies have confirmed links to Charles.

The prince also complained about a "modernist" development near London's St Paul's cathedral in 2005.

He wrote a private letter to commercial developer Land Securities recommending Jean Nouvel - who had been commissioned to design the £500 million [$827 million] office and shopping concert next to Christopher Wren's church - be fired in favor of one of his preferred designers.