This picture shows socialite James Stunt grinning with the-then Prince Charles in a photograph shown to jurors during his Bradford-linked money laundering trial.

The bankrupt gold bullion seller can be seen posing with the future King during a meeting at his royal residence.

It was shown to the jury at Leeds Cloth Hall Court, where Stunt is on trial accused of money-laundering and forgery.

Jurors previously heard how Stunt, 40, visited His Majesty a number of times between 2014 and 2016 and the-then Prince of Wales wrote a eulogy for Stunt's brother’s funeral in 2016.

Stunt, who donated £65,000 to the Prince's Trust and £50,000 to Dumfries House, today denied involvement in the money laundering scheme.

He told the jury: “If I was laundering the proceeds of crime, I would not offend my future King.”

Jurors were told of a charity dinner Stunt sponsored in 2015 during which he donated gold bullions with his company logo on.

He was asked if he did so because just months earlier he had embarked on the operation to clean dirty money.

He said: “My whole life is on trial. I have to talk about the good I do.

“I’ve never been involved in a money laundering operation, I never would be and I never will be. I’ve never even washed a fiver under a bar of soap.”

The court heard how his ex-father-in-law, the billionaire former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, had guaranteed a bullion loan deal Stunt entered into with a bank in 2015.

Stunt said he ‘ran everything past’ Ecclestone, who he looked up to as a ‘mentor’ and described as a ‘great businessman’.

He told jurors that Ecclestone said of the deal, which involved borrowing money to buy gold that would be then sold: “If no-one nicks the gold, it’s fine.”

Prosecutors had previously claimed he may have been involved in the alleged scheme because the breakdown of his marriage to Miss Ecclestone meant the 'river of money' from her family was 'running dry’.

But taking the stand at the court today, Stunt told his defence counsel Richard Fisher KC: “There was no marital problems between my wife and I. We didn’t split up until after the police involvement.”

The jury has heard the alleged money-laundering operation saw £266 million deposited in the bank account of Bradford gold dealer Fowler Oldfield from 2014 to 2016.

Prosecutors say “criminal cash” was brought from all over the country to Fowler Oldfield’s premises in Hall Lane, Bradford, before the scheme “went national” and Stunt’s offices in London also started receiving money.

Heidi Buckler, 45, Greg Frankel, 44, Paul Miller, 45, Haroon Rashid, 51, Daniel Rawson, 45, Francesca Sota, 34, Stunt, 40 and Alexander Tulloch, 41, all deny money laundering. Stunt and Sota also deny forgery.

The long-running trial will resume next Wednesday.