Prince Charles ‘did his duty’ in Barracks row, says aide

The Prince of Wales had only been "fulfilling his duty as heir to the throne" when he stepped into the £3 billion Chelsea Barracks property project, Sir Michael Peat said today.

The courtier's defence came after Charles's intervention was described as "unexpected and unwelcome" by the judge hearing the £81 million dispute over Chelsea Barracks between Christian Candy's CPC and developers Qatari Diar.

Today Sir Michael said the letter Charles wrote to the prime minister of Qatar had only been reflecting the views of local people that "might not otherwise be heard".

He added: "The Prince of Wales was contacted by local residents concerned about the project. They contacted Quinlan Terry to prepare an alternative sketch design which they sent to the Prince of Wales. They asked him to do what he could to ensure that these views received exposure.

"These views did represent the views of the majority. He was just repeating what the residents had been saying all along."