Rausing's Royal Friendship: From Addiction to Philanthropy

0:00On April 26, Swedish billionaire Sir Hans Rowsing, heir to the 9 billion pound tetrapack fortune, was spotted deep in chat with King Charles at a, literary event hosted by Queen Camilla at Clarence House last March. The 62-year-old Tycoon, now largely reclusive after losing two wives to tragedy, shares a decades-long bond with the king that's credited with, pulling him back from the brink, not once, but twice. Rowsing's trouble started young. Drifting from family business into addiction during travels in India. He met his first wife, Eva, and an American rehab clinic back in the 1990s. Their glamorous life unraveled publicly in 2008, with a drug bust at the US Embassy, leading to more scandals. Eva died of a cocaine overdose in their Bel Gravia mansion in July 2012, Rowsing hit her body for weeks before getting caught and entering rehab. Many slammed the Rowsings as privileged addicts dodging real consequences, especially after then.

1:00Prince Charles publicly backed Eva as a charity. Trusty and defended them amid the outrage. Swedish media called it a national embarrassment, yet Charles stuck by him, even as Rowsing pled guilty to the Langher burial, but avoided jail-through treatment. Rowsing rebuilt by marrying Julia Del's Broughton in 2014, they poured millions into charities like the Princess Trust, via there, Foundation, Julia died of cancer in April 2024. He renamed the trust in her honor, donating a record 150 million pounds to the National Gallery soon after. Last December, King Charles knighted him for Arts Philanthropy, rare for someone with his criminal past. These days, Sir Hans keeps low-key in his Chelsea mansion, channeling energy into massive giving their reshapes British arts and addiction support. At Clarence House Photo, shows a quiet win for forgiveness and friendship at the top.