The Duke of Sussex has described a cash for honours row engulfing Prince Charles’s charitable foundation as a “CBE scandal” and distanced himself from the furore.

A statement released on Sunday said that the prince had “raised concerns about” and “severed ties” with Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, who was promised a knighthood and British citizenship after making hefty donations to the Prince’s Foundation.

It came after a report alleged that Prince Harry held a private meeting with Mr Mahfouz in 2013, shortly after he had donated £50,000 to his charity, Sentebale. The meeting reportedly took place at a pub in Chelsea, west London, owned by Mark Dyer, a former royal equerry and childhood mentor to the Prince.

Prince Harry was also photographed with Mr Mahfouz’s teenage sons at the Beaufort Polo Club in the Cotswolds, and was said to have held a second meeting at Clarence House in 2014.

A statement released on behalf of the Duke said: “The Duke and his advisers, as well as his non-profit Sentebale, severed ties with Mr Mahfouz and his associates in 2015, no longer accepting further donations to Sentebale and discontinuing any plans for a fundraising event amid growing concerns over the motives for his support.”

‘Aides said to have to have developed concerns’

The Sunday Times reported that, in 2012, a royal intermediary was told Mr Mahfouz had allegedly agreed to give money to Sentebale, but that his family wanted to know “precisely what they are getting for that”.

His advisers were said to have floated ideas including a private meeting with the Duke, tickets to watch a rugby or football match in a royal box with him and a joint “educational tour” of Lesotho.

Within 48 hours, the intermediary reportedly declared that such opportunities would be “arranged at mutual early convenience” and with the supervision of Mr Dyer, a trustee of Sentebale.

In 2014, Mr Dyer and Ed Lane Fox, the Duke’s private secretary, allegedly agreed to throw a banquet for Mr Mahfouz to encourage more donations. Mr Mahfouz allegedly wanted an auction to take place, which is against royal protocol.

However, aides are said to have to have developed concerns about Mr Mahfouz’s motives and the banquet never took place.

The Duke’s statement added: “It is disappointing that the Sunday Times, knowing all the facts, has chosen to encourage speculation by being deliberately vague to try to create a falsified link between the Duke of Sussex and the CBE scandal, of which he had no knowledge or involvement.

“The Duke had one planned meeting with this donor nearly eight years ago, did not introduce him to any members of the Royal family, and expressed his concerns about the donor.”