William and Kate in 'cash for access' Californian social event

'July 9', the date of Bersih's planned march for electoral reform which is causing our Malaysian government leaders to fret over whether it is going to start a rebellion, a grand social event involving Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will take place in California...

Excerpt from The Mail on Sunday:

It is a multi-million-pound Royal extravaganza being billed as California’s ‘social event of the decade’ – but a star-studded polo tournament could engulf Prince William and his new bride in a potentially embarrassing ‘cash for access’ controversy.

Questions have been raised about the society bash in the exclusive coastal resort of Santa Barbara, as wealthy tycoons have paid up to £60,000 to mingle with William and Kate.

The July 9 event will be attended by celebrities including David Beckham, Oprah Winfrey and Sylvester Stallone and will raise more than £3 million for a charity only recently set up in the Prince’s name.

A £60,000 donation buys a place on one of the three teams, while another 600 people will pay £2,500 just to lunch in the same room as the Royals. It even costs £250 to have a packed lunch and the chance to ‘glimpse William across a polo field’.

A source said: ‘I’m not sure why it was left so late but to maximise the takings they needed to be incorporated in the States. You can’t take a tax deduction for a charitable donation here unless it is to a group that is US-registered. The people coming to the polo are super-rich but, frankly, some of them won’t give a penny unless they get a tax break.’

‘We had to commit to raising a certain amount of money because you can’t have Prince William flying off and all the costs involved in that and not have the guarantee of a large payday for his charity. We guaranteed $750,000. Some was already secured from sponsors like Tiffany and I underwrote some from my own pocket.

He proudly added: ‘We have already raised a guaranteed $2 million (£1.5 million) for the Prince’s foundation. I am reluctant to put a final figure on it, but it’s going to be huge. People are clamouring to sponsor this event. We in America just love the Royal Family and William and Kate are superstars.’

Audi’s North American president Johan de Nysschen is expected to attend the match and the Bafta gala. Asked how much Audi is contributing to the Royal trip, a publicist hired by the firm said: ‘We were all made to sign confidentiality agreements. We will lose our jobs if we reveal how much Audi is paying.’

Source:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005369/William-Kate-cash-access-fears-Californias-3m-social-event-decade.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

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