The head of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has accused Buckingham Palace of applying pressure on government officials to suppress documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities as a trade envoy.
Graham Smith, the organisation’s chief executive, argued that withholding the files cannot be justified, particularly given Andrew’s diminished royal standing following his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Smith said: “There should be no royal exemption at all. But this exemption surely doesn’t apply to Andrew now he’s no longer a royal.
“The most likely reason for this attempt to stop disclosure is pressure from the Palace.
The head of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has accused Buckingham Palace of applying pressure on government officials to suppress documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities as a trade envoy.
|
GETTY
Mr Smith demanded that the documents be released “without fear or favour, to allow the public to make informed judgments.”
The Government has censored official records detailing the former Duke of York’s global travels during his time as Britain’s special representative for trade, a role that earned him the nickname “Air Miles Andy.”
A Downing Street file covering royal visits from 2004 to 2005 was initially handed to the National Archives as part of the standard 20-year release process and shared with journalists under embargo earlier this month.
The Government has censored official records detailing the former Duke of York’s global travels during his time as Britain’s special representative for trade, a role that earned him the nickname “Air Miles Andy.”
|
GETTY
Ten days ago, however, the Cabinet Office removed 16 pages from the 80-page document, attributing the redactions to an “administrative error” and claiming the material was never meant for public release.
Critics of the Royal Family have accused civil servants of orchestrating a cover-up, with the redactions likely to intensify scrutiny of the former prince’s conduct while representing British interests abroad.
The portions of the file that remain accessible reveal senior palace and Foreign Office officials discussing Andrew’s planned visits to China, Russia, south-east Asia and Spain in his trade envoy capacity.
One memo addressed whether the Football Association might fund Andrew’s attendance at Euro 2004 in Portugal as a royal representative, with the question of the FA’s “willingness to pay for it” raised for discussion.
One memo addressed whether the Football Association might fund Andrew’s attendance at Euro 2004 in Portugal as a royal representative, with the question of the FA’s “willingness to pay for it” raised for discussion.
|
GETTY
Costs for a Gulf tour encompassing Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia were also flagged for future calculation.
The file has undergone ten separate redactions over the past two years, with four of those censorship decisions made within the last fortnight alone.
The minutes initially shared with journalists included details of a rule change affecting how Andrew’s trade envoy trips would be financed, shifting responsibility from UK Trade and Industry to the Royal Travel Office at an additional cost of £90,000.
The documents also revealed that a proposal for Prince William to undertake an official visit to China was rejected, with officials determining he should not carry out such duties until reaching at least 25 years of age.