Charles Windsor, heir to the office of head of state, has succeeded in blocking modern architecture in a redevelopment of the Chelsea Barracks site in London.
According to the Financial Times Mr. Windsor was able to persuade fellow feudal rulers in Qatar, the al-Thani family, to intervene to have the plans scrapped. The owner of the site is Qatari Diar, Qatar’s sovereign wealth investor.
Freedom House, which describes itself as “a clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world”, says that political power in Qatar is “monopolised” by the al-Thanis.
The developers are discussing new plans for the site with Mr. Windsor’s Foundation for the Built Environment. Richard Rogers, whose firm designed the luxury residential development, expressed extreme disappointment at the scrapping of the original design. His firm is not expected to stay involved.
In 1984 Windsor was able to block a design he disliked for an extension to the National Gallery in London. It is too early to tell whether his resort to overseas feudal rulers this time is a sign that the British are less afraid to resist the demands of the Windsor family.