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June 04, 2011

'Ethical’ charity has to sack staff after the Prince of Wales resigns

While the Prince of Wales has the power to attract attention to causes close to his heart, the withdrawal of his patronage can be devastating.

Mandrake hears that a charity from which the heir to the throne resigned as president is struggling to survive.

This week, staff at the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum were told they may lose their jobs.

“We are carrying out a consultation process about redundancies,” confirms Graham Baxter, a director of the organisation, which Prince Charles established with a group of chief executives in 1990 to foster “responsible behaviour” by multinational companies.

The director of the charity’s New York office has left and it will close its American operation.



“It is no secret that every not-for-profit organisation is going through a difficult time,” says Baxter. “I’m not going to comment on the effect that the Prince’s resignation had.”

When Mandrake disclosed two years ago that Charles had stepped down, it was seen as a demonstration of his frustration with big business.

Saying the Prince had resigned with “severe regret’’, his spokesman told me: “The environmental challenges we face are such that it is vital [his] efforts are as targeted as possible.

“It was decided that HRH’s involvement in the area of corporate responsibility should be focused on fewer organisations.’’

Charles is understood to have made clear that he was frustrated that the forum had not taken up his suggestion of merging its activities with those of two of his other charities.

At the time, the organisation, which has sumptuous headquarters on the edge of Regent’s Park, in London, employed more than 50 staff.

Baxter insists it is not being wound up: “New members are joining and we have a very active programme planned.”

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

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