Is Prince Charles Abusing His Power?

A number of famous architects believe that the Prince is subverting the planning process by using his royal influence to stymie projects.

1 minute read

June 22, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Most recently, the Prince used his influence to scuttle a proposed multimillion-dollar development planned for Chelsea and designed by architect Richard Rogers.

"This is the third of Lord Rogers's projects to be scuttled by Prince Charles's intervention, the first being the so-called carbuncle next to the National Gallery. Lord Rogers is joined in his indignation by a raft of renowned architects here and abroad. Ten of them, including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster and Renzo Piano, recently sent a rousingly stern letter to The Times of London decrying Charles's "private comments and behind-the-scenes lobbying."

If he wanted to give his opinion on 'one of the most significant residential projects likely to be built in London in the next five years,' they said, he should have done it through the normal planning process, like a common person, not privately, royally and at the last minute."

Thanks to Zach Seaman

Thursday, June 18, 2009 in NY Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

1 hour ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

2 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive