Royal Gift Secrecy: Four Years Of Missing Lists Spark Transparency Debate

The British royal family has not published its annual list of official gifts received over the past four years, despite previous promises of transparency. Palace officials cited the pandemic, the transition of reign, and preparations for King Charles III’s coronation as reasons for the delay in releasing details.

This lack of disclosure follows controversies, including a cash-for-honours scandal involving the king’s charitable foundation, which led to a police investigation that was later dropped without explanation. Additionally, King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales, faced scrutiny after accepting £2.6 million in cash from a Qatari politician for one of his charities.

Further concerns have been raised about other royals, including the Duke of York, who was accused of conducting private business deals during official overseas trips. Unlike Members of Parliament, who are required to declare gifts and donations, there is no public register for royal family members. Instead, they rely on their private secretaries to determine what should be disclosed.

The last annual gift list, covering 2019, was published in April 2020. Since then, details have only emerged sporadically, often during state visits or through pictures at public engagements. The lack of transparency has stirred criticism, particularly over controversial gifts, such as a £500,000 pair of diamond earrings given to Meghan Markle by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018. She wore the earrings at two high-profile events, shortly after the crown prince was implicated in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but palace officials initially claimed the earrings were “borrowed.”

In the past, the publication of royal gift lists has led to public outrage, such as in 2012 when it was revealed that the king of Bahrain gave a suite of jewels to Sophie, wife of Prince Edward, amid criticism of Bahrain’s human rights record.

Graham Smith, head of the anti-monarchy group Republic, argued that transparency is essential to prevent conflicts of interest or undue influence on the royals. He emphasized that, given the royal family’s access to government figures and influence, they should be held to the same standards as politicians.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that the royal gift lists will be published in due course.