King's charity sued for $11.3m over cancelled fundraiser

By Timothy Sigsworth

A designer of eco-friendly handbags is suing the King's charity for £6m (approx. $11.3m) after claiming her business "disintegrated" when it cancelled a joint fundraiser.

Amanda Navaian, founder of Marici London, has said she was left psychologically scarred after the King Charles III Charitable Fund pulled out of a project in aid of the King's Coronation Food Project in 2024.

The 43-year-old founded her environmentally friendly handbag firm in 2020 and approached the King's charity in April 2024 to become involved in its project to cut food waste.

She told the court she was drawn to the project because of her "admiration for King Charles and his values" and proposed raising funds with a range of T-shirts curated by Olivia Buckingham, Princess Beatrice's primary stylist.

Ms Navaian also drew up plans for a dinner at a Japanese fine dining restaurant in Knightsbridge, west London.

She told the court she reached an "oral agreement" for the project on a Zoom call with Dame Martina Milburn, the project's chairman, and Dori Dana-Haeri, chairman of its development committee.

But by July 2024, the plans had foundered after the Coronation Food Project declined to take them further.

READ MORE: William wants the Andrew problem 'dealt with now'

READ MORE: The downfall that saw Iran's last royal family exiled

READ MORE: Andrew gives up lease on another royal home

Ms Navaian told Mr Justice Mansfield that the "last-minute cancellation" caused her business to have "disintegrated".

"There was no valid reason to give for the dinner being cancelled and soon after that my entire eco-system fell apart," she told the judge.

"Everything that meant anything to me was involved in that project. There could have been over £1m (approx. $1.8m) in sales during that launch week. The result of the cancellation led to me not being able to work for a very long time and caused me loss."

Ms Navaian and Marici London Ltd are suing FareShare, the UK's leading food redistribution charity, which partnered with the King's Fund, and Mrs Dana-Haeri for breach of contract, misrepresentation and "unlawful interference" in their economic relations

.All three defendants dispute the claims, with Andrew MacLeod, their legal representative, insisting the case against them is "bound to fail".

He added: "They have placed a value of the damages sought by their claim at 'in excess of £6m' but have failed to plead any legally coherent case as to the damages to which they are entitled."

Mr MacLeod told the judge that there was a contract with FareShare under which Ms Navaian's company potentially stands to be reimbursed for up to £25,000 (approx. $47,000) of expenses blown on the failed project.

Mr Justice Mansfield has reserved his ruling in the case, which will be given at a later date.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2026