Post by Taxigirl on Nov 9, 2003 10:40:08 GMT
Prince Charles is flying home from a Royal tour of Oman to face fresh headlines about him in the UK's Sunday newspapers.
The prince has come under increasing media scrutiny after a court injunction prevented the press from publishing an allegation made by a former royal servant.
In a fresh allegation, the News of the World says the Prince's private secretary Sir Michael Peat asked one of Charles's former key aides about his sexuality.
It says Sir Michael asked Mark Bolland if he thought the prince was bisexual - the answer to which was an emphatic "no".
The inquiry was allegedly made as part of Sir Michael's detailed investigation into the aftermath of the collapse of the trial of former royal butler Paul Burrell last year.
Mr Bolland, the prince's former deputy private secretary, told the News of the World: "I was astonished at Sir Michael's question. I told him that the prince was emphatically not gay or bisexual."
The paper quoted Sir Michael as saying the word "bisexual" was one he did not think he could ever remember using.
Strenuously denied
On Sunday, Clarence House issued a statement on behalf of the prince, describing Sir Michael as "Mr Transparent" with nothing to hide.
"Sir Michael is very open, honest and direct," a spokeswoman said.
"He has already made clear that he spoke to the prince about the rumours circulating and it should not be any surprise that he would have first talked to Mark Bolland, who was then a senior member of staff, before approaching the prince."
Sunday newspapers have not published details of the original allegation that was the subject of a court injunction a week ago, and which has been strenuously denied by the prince.
On Saturday the prince was described by royal aides as "unruffled" about the media frenzy.
In London, a spokesman for the prince said there was concern that full details of the allegations may appear on Sunday.
"Yes, we are concerned about allegations being published which are totally false - that's why we have made our position very clear," he said.
The royal denial came after the Guardian newspaper won a High Court battle to name Prince Charles's ex-valet, Michael Fawcett, as the person who won an injunction to stop the allegation being printed by the Mail on Sunday newspaper last week.
The allegation was made by another former royal servant, George Smith, who used to serve as a footman.
The Mail on Sunday did not publish details of the allegation in its latest edition, but carried an interview with Mr Smith.