Royal Researchers Cry Foul As British Govt Continues To Block Access To Files On Prince Andrew
Date
12/28/2024 7:00:55 PM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) Information on Prince Andrew continued to remain sparse in 2024 - with royal researchers stonewalled by the British Foreign Office. Officials have given a variety of reasons to deny requests for data on the former trade envoy and insist that relevant files cannot be made public till 2065.
The limitation came to light last year as author Andrew Lownie filed a request for information with two government offices while writing a book on the controversial royal. He was also reminded on several occasions of a general rule that ensured documents pertaining to members of the royal family will remain sealed until 105 years after their birth. The historian has reportedly submitted more than a 100 requests to Whitehall departments - only to find that the relevant information“has vanished”.
“The Foreign Office claimed not to know anything about it. The Department of Business and Trade know nothing. It's like playing whack-a-mole. It's real Yes Minister stuff, anything to avoid releasing this information,” he told Sky News earlier this month.
Government papers are typically embargoed for 20 years under the Public Records Act while some royal missives may never see the light of day. The exemptions also include a slightly smaller shield for members of the immediate family - including the brother of King Charles. A spokesperson for the UK Information Commissioner's Office however told The Guardian last week that there was“nothing in the Freedom of Information Act about that”.
Prince Andrew did not join fellow royals for Christmas celebrations this year - missing festivities at Sandringham as well as King Charles' annual holiday address on Wednesday. The 64-year-old has retreated further into the shadows this month after an alleged Chinese spy was revealed to be an associate who enjoyed“unusual degree of trust”.
Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has become a constant source of tabloid fodder because of his money woes and links to questionable characters, including the late American financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The king has also been under pressure to distance Andrew from the royal family to avoid further embarrassment to the monarchy.
There has also been renewed interest in his finances in recent months after it emerged that King Charles was no longer paying his brother an allowance. His time as a trade envoy for the UK may provide some answers as it was a lucrative time for the royal. Andrew began serving as a 'special representative' for trade in 2001 and held the post until his connections with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were exposed.
(With inputs from agencies)
MENAFN28122024007365015876ID1109038063
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.