constellation group sensationally snapped up a majority stake in the company that owns claridge 's , the connaught and the berkeley hotel .
the eye-catching purchase was just the latest made by the qatari ruling family , who for the past eight years have been quietly buying up prestigious properties .
the gulf state may have been accused of helping to fund islamic extremists and bribing officials to host the 2022 world cup -- both charges denied , of course .