Ghanim bin Saad al-Saad, the head of Qatari Diar, the development arm of the Qatar royal family, said he was confident a solution could be found to allay any concerns about plans for the Chelsea Barracks.

'We respect the democracy and procedures in the UK and listen and co-operate with... all parties, with Prince Charles, with the mayor, with everybody,' he told the newspaper.

'We are following the process and procedures... we can sit around the table to get a solution for everybody.' Prince Charles reportedly wrote to Qatari Diar last month to express his unhappiness with the plans.

Instead of a glass-and-steel design by renowned architect Richard Rogers, the prince is pressing for a classical plan made from bricks, stone and slate, mirroring the Sir Christopher Wren-designed Royal Hospital across the road.

The heir to the British throne's strong views against modern architecture have caused controversy before, notably when he once lambasted plans for a new wing of London's National Gallery as a 'monstrous carbuncle'. -- AFP