Cabinet Office admits error over release of Andrew files
The Cabinet Office has claimed the mistaken sharing of official documents referring to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was an “administrative error”.
File number 10, relating to the royal’s overseas visits for 2004 and 2005, released as part of the government’s annual transfer of records to the National Archives under the 20-year rule, was briefly made available to journalists before being withdrawn.
The version initially released under embargo contained minutes discussing overseas travel by various royals, including the then-Duke of York, who served as trade envoy to the United Kingdom.
This information was later removed from the file before being made public at the National Archives at Kew, west London.
The Cabinet Office, which is responsible for transferring the files to the National Archives, said the documents were never intended to be made public.
A spokesman said: “All records are managed in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act. Any release is subject to a thorough review process, including the involvement of specialist stakeholders.”
Anti-monarchy campaigners said there was no justification for withholding the documents, especially given Andrew was stripped of his royal titles over his links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has always denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
Graham Smith, chief executive of campaign group Republic, said: “The royal family is one of the most secretive institutions in the UK. These documents must be released without fear or favor to enable the public to make informed decisions about the royal family.”
The minutes seen by journalists before the withdrawal appeared largely routine.
They discussed Andrew’s travel plans as a trade ambassador. This role earned him the nickname “Airmiles Andy” – Including visits to China, Russia, Southeast Asia and Spain.
Other documents lodged with the National Archives reveal that the Foreign Office ruled out military action to oust Zimbabwe’s long-serving leader Robert Mugabe, despite growing frustration with Tony Blair’s government over its refusal to give up power.
An options paper drawn up in 2004 concluded that it was “not a serious option”, warning that any UK-led intervention would be politically isolating, costly and lack a viable exit strategy.
The Foreign Office was forced to concede that there were few good options to increase pressure on Mugabe, who remains “depressingly healthy” at 80 and is determined to remain in office until he obtains a mandate to his liking.
The papers also reveal that Downing Street was forced to apologize after the “inappropriate” handling of then-Prime Minister John Major’s birthday telegram to the Queen Mother in 1994.
The Queen Mother’s private secretary contacted number 10 to complain, but the files do not explain the motive for the crime. Officials said the message had left Downing Street correctly but that the telegrams should be canceled entirely, citing an error in transmission.
There is also evidence of limits on transparency under the Freedom of Information Act. Newly declassified documents show officials refused to disclose details of a meeting between Blair and French President Jacques Chirac following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Paris in 1997.
While documents regarding Diana’s death and funeral arrangements were published, it was stated that a note summarizing the Blair-Chirac debate was excluded.
Officials argued that disclosing private conversations between world leaders was “fundamentally not in the public interest”, warning that it could hinder frank discussions in the future.
The files also revealed ambitious and ultimately abandoned plans for a wholesale redevelopment of Downing Street under Blair.
Briefing papers dated March 2005, just two months before the general election, describe a multi-million pound project, codenamed Project George, to overhaul the decrepit property, some of which dates back to the 17th century, and which has not undergone a major refurbishment since the 1960s.
Proposals included a two-storey “underground suite” beneath No 10 garden, with a 200-seat conference hall that could double as a “safe haven” in the event of a terrorist attack.
There were also plans for an underground service road to separate VIP visitors from the rubbish collection area, a new staff entrance, a café and basement “recreational facilities”.
Officials warned that faulty sewers, power supplies and IT systems were causing “unacceptable disruption to critical services”.
The plans, which will be funded through a private finance initiative over 30 years, call for a new glass-fronted extension and No Downing Street building to be fitted with blast-proof glass. It extended from 11 and 12 to 70 Whitehall, home of the Cabinet Office. The files do not explain why the plans were canceled.
