Prince Charles Blocks Alzheimer’s Charity Sale

Clarence House has blocked a charity auction tomorrow of dozens of Christmas cards that the Prince of Wales sent to a long-standing supporter of his work.
  The family of Charles Quant, a founder member of the Prince of Wales’s Committee, which helped to improve the natural environment in Wales, had hoped to raise at least £20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society from the sale.

But the prince’s officials have blocked the auction because they regarded the cards, normally addressed to Charles and Mrs Quant and signed Charles, were personal and should not be in the public domain.

The committee Mr Quant founded had 10,000 volunteers who carried out £10 million worth of projects for Wales. Prince Charles once called him “the Bolshie at the bottom of the table”.

The 24 cards sent by the prince to the late Mr Quant, who had suffered from Alzheimer’s, were featured in an auctioneers’ catalogue with the sale set for tomorrow in Birmingham.

But the Alzheimer’s Society was told to withdraw them four days before the sale after contacting Clarence House as a courtesy. The sale had already been advertised in the auctioneers’ catalogue.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “We were asked to approve the sale of these personal cards. The cards were private and sent on a personal basis. That is how we see them and that was our response to the Alzheimer’s Society.”

Mr Quant, who died in a nursing home in June, aged 88, was made an MBE for services to the community and was a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order for his service to the Prince of Wales.

He had worked as a journalist for almost 50 years, ending his career as a columnist on the Liverpool Daily Post. Mr Quant’s family declined to comment but Stephen Whittaker, the managing partner for Fellows & Sons the auctioneers, said: “We were delighted to help when the Quant family approached us.

“We were very frustrated to have to withdraw them after Clarence House objected. We were expecting these items to raise a significant amount of money and publicity for the Alzheimer’s Society.

advertisement”We were waiving all usual buyers’ premiums and fees on the day and other businesses were also donating their services free of charge so every penny raised would go to the charity.

“Charles Quant was a respected figure but clearly we will respect the wishes of Clarence House.”