A charity sponsor is now accused of offering “private meetings” with Prince William, aka the next king, for an unassuming $25,000 each. This drew the prince into a cash-for-access scandal, which, surprisingly enough, isn’t a first for the royals!
Monday Stainer, a Filipino-British millionaire and polo event organizer with links to William’s charitable network, set up the eye-opening ruse, which was tied to the Royal Charity Polo Cup. As first reported by RadarOnline, Stainer apparently offered lucky ticket buyers access to an “intimate royal experience.”
The “luck” in question included spending time with Prince William and Princess Catherine.
Royal insiders immediately dismissed the scam, which had a chance to make almost $1.4 million in just one night. They maintained that Prince William was utterly unaware of the stunt and was expected to be “appalled” by it.
“Nobody gets direct access to a guest, sent to sit at the Prince’s dinner table, or offered personal time unless they’re in the inner circle,” a well-connected London concierge source acknowledged.
Royal Polo Cup Became Ground Zero for a $1.4M Scheme
According to emails that have been leaked and shared with RadarOnline, Stainer’s invites promised VIP benefits in return for “patron contributions.” What was the asking price, then? To have “full access plus a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine,” no less than £20,000, or roughly $27,000, needed to be paid.
The event, which was marketed as a part of the Royal Charity Polo Cup circuit, pointed to wealth, charity, and intimacy with the king or queen. Yet, the offer felt more like a grift than charity. The invitation opened doors to the royal inner circle and had the Monday Foundation’s seal as well as promises that contributions would go to the organization’s causes.
No such meetings with William or Catherine were ever accepted, based on what royal sources say.
The Princess of Wales steps back from her treasured sporting tradition as Prince William goes solo at the Royal Charity Polo Cuphttps://t.co/rLw7M4WKOz pic.twitter.com/INgBi00DBg
— Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) July 14, 2025
Insiders were quick to isolate Prince William from the story.
To add to the royal scam-to-be, Stainer went totally quiet and did not issue a public statement. All efforts to contact the organization Monday Stainer founded have been met with its strict no-comment strategy.
Prince William Couldn’t Shake Off “Cash for Access” Curse
The controversy is very similar to one that took place in 2015 when King Charles III, who was then Prince Charles, reportedly accepted bags of cash totaling $3.7 million from Sheikh Hamad of Qatar during private meetings. The money was later handed over to a nonprofit organization after being carried in Fortnum & Mason shopping bags and suitcases.
Despite the fact that its appearances were damning, the palace at the time stated that all “appropriate governance” was carried out. History is being repeated now, with Prince William getting caught in the splash zone this time around.
Royal analysts and researchers have warned that this latest scandal could further compromise the public’s trust, especially as younger people grow increasingly skeptical of the throne and privilege.
When I say Prince William walks amidst wolves, the latest story of “cash access” illustrates that.
Lets retrace the “almost scandal” that was leaked to the Press and ended up being a nonstory, to their sore disappointment😏
Every year, The Royal Charity Polo Cup organise… pic.twitter.com/xhRH35EtRb— Canellecitadelle (@Canellelabelle) June 29, 2025
The Palace must act swiftly to reassure the public that these events aren’t pay-to-play.
Behind the palace walls, Prince William and Princess Kate’s camps are believed to be angry about having been taken by surprise during internal royal rifts, such as the most recent secret peace talks between Prince Harry‘s team and King Charles’ aides, during which William and Kate’s representatives were notably absent, and now the illegal charity hustle.
