Charles defends Enron meetings

The Prince's Trust helps disadvantaged young people

Prince Charles has defended himself following revelations he met Enron executives after the company donated £800,000 to the Prince's Trust.

The US energy giant is the largest bankruptcy in history and its collapse is currently the subject of a number of investigations in the US.

The prince met Enron chief executive Kenneth Lay and former chairman of Enron Europe, John Wing, during the 1990s to thank them for the company's corporate sponsorship of his charity.

But a spokeswoman for the prince said it was common practice for him to meet with sponsors.

It is very normal practice for the prince to meet executives to thank them

Spokeswoman
Prince Charles

The meetings included lunch with Mr Wing at the prince's Highgrove home in Gloucester in 1993 and a reception in Houston, understood to be at Mr Lay's Texas mansion.

The spokeswoman said: "The Prince's Trust receives donations from a large number of corporations and Enron is one of a number of these donors.

Social responsibility

"It is very normal practice for the prince to meet executives to thank them. There is nothing more to it than that."

Prince's Trust spokeswoman Rachel Faulkner said Enron donated £500,000 in 1991 for projects over five years.

Another £300,000, towards a European project for British youngsters, was paid in three equal instalments between 1996 and 1999.

Lay hosted the prince in Texas

The Prince's Trust is one of Prince Charles's most well known charities and provides opportunities to disadvantaged young people.

Ms Faulkner added: "It is quite normal for a charity to invite their major supporters and donors to their key events throughout the year and make them feel involved."

And she said that from the point of view of a large company, the sponsorship demonstrated a "corporate social responsibility" towards local communities.