Questions surround a distant relative of the King after revelations emerged about her role in organising a lavish private jet and luxury safari holiday for Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire oligarch previously known as a favourite of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The arrangement took place while Deripaska was under US sanctions.
Alexandra “Lexi” Bowes-Lyon, a British socialite and third cousin of the King, organised the extravagant retreat at a Kenyan reserve in February 2021 while Deripaska was under US sanctions, The Times reports.
In her role as philanthropic director of Space for Giants USA, affiliated with a UK elephant charity endorsed by Prince Charles, Bowes-Lyon arranged the trip, held at the exclusive Suyian Ranch in northern Kenya.
Deripaska, accused of amassing wealth through questionable means, enjoyed the retreat that included a private jet from Moscow to Nairobi and a chartered aircraft owned by Michael Spencer, a former Conservative Party treasurer.
Journeys for Giants, a charity affiliate, facilitated the trip. Bowes-Lyon, 37, and Dr. Max Graham, the charity’s founder, personally greeted Deripaska.
US Treasury Department bans transactions with sanctioned individuals. Bowes-Lyon’s connection is ancestral, while the charity is Manhattan-based.
A US resident since 2011, Bowes-Lyon is recognized in American media as “the wildlife conservationist who happens to be Prince William and Harry’s cousin.”
Dr Max Graham, 45, an eco-conscious Cambridge graduate, founded the charity in 2011. During Deripaska’s trip, Graham encouraged him to support the charity’s mission by purchasing a neighbouring ranch.
Graham said: “We are not in a position to confirm or deny that Space for Giants has or has not breached US sanctions in relation to the 2021 safari given that no competent authority has ever ruled on this.
“What we can say is that no Space for Giants entity, Lexi Bowes-Lyon nor myself have ever knowingly or deliberately breached sanctions.”
