Prince Charles Accused Of Interfering In Kensington Palace's Renovation

Britain's Prince Charles has been accused of interfering in Kensington Palace's £12 million [$19.5 million] renovation. The Prince of Wales has been criticized for voicing his support of "embarrassingly twee" plans for a new entrance to the royal palace, after his charity The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment wrote to Kensington and Chelsea planners and asked them to approve the scheme.

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Daniel Moylan, the Conservative deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea, told planning officials: "The loggia is decoratively over-elaborate and almost embarrassingly twee and although designed by a leading architect, one could easily imagine it being replicated in a garden furniture catalogue."

The Kensington Society - which opposes the plans designed by Charles' favorite architect John Simpson - also believes the designs are too fussy.

A spokesperson told Britain's London Evening Standard newspaper: "It's too dominating and overly detailed."

Councilors - who have been advised by planning officials to turn down the "detrimental" proposal - will vote on the decision later Wednesday.

The prince has reportedly been keen to oversee the project, which is run by the Historic Royal Palaces organization.

The agency hope to rush the application through as quickly as possible to ensure the project is completed by 2012 for the Queen's jubilee.

Clarence House denied the 60-year-old heir to the throne was trying to force his influence on the council.

A spokeswoman said: "The planning permission is obviously up to the council."

Earlier this year, Charles was accused of "single handedly destroying" the Chelsea Barracks development project after he wrote a letter to the Qatari royal family - which owns the site - to complain about the "modernist" look of the proposed buildings.

His actions led to the £3 billion [$5 billion] proposals being abandoned in June, just days before it was due to be considered by Westminster council.

After asking The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment to suggest alternative architects, the developers have compiled a shortlist of 10 firms who have been invited to submit their ideas for the site. Half of those companies have confirmed links to Charles.

The prince also complained about a "modernist" development near London's St Paul's cathedral in 2005.

He wrote a private letter to commercial developer Land Securities recommending Jean Nouvel - who had been commissioned to design the £500 million [$815 million] office and shopping concert next to Christopher Wren's church - be fired in favor of one of his preferred designers.