LONDON: A London developer has apologized to Prince Charles for naming him in a lawsuit against his Qatari partners over a failed building project, after finally settling the dispute, reports said Saturday.
Christian Candy’s CPC Group had sued Qatari Diar (QD) for breach of contract after QD withdrew a planning application for a multi-billion-dollar modernist development of the prestigious Chelsea Barracks site in central London.
A high court judge ruled in his favor last month but said Candy was not entitled to a pay-out because the Qataris’ hand had been forced by strong criticism directed at the scheme by Prince Charles.
Documents made public in the case revealed that the royal, a long-time critic of modern architecture, had written to the emir of Qatar’s family to express his opposition to the proposed design for the former military barracks.
The prince was widely criticized for his intervention and the high court judge said it was "unwelcome".
In a statement reported in various media on Saturday, CPC and QD announced they had reached a confidential settlement — and Candy sought to close the door on the dispute.
He said he "apologized unreservedly" to Prince Charles for bringing his name into the case.
He also apologized to the emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and the Qatari prime minister "for any offence caused by the decision to commence litigation against QD", according to a report in the Financial Times.
