Queen Elizabeth II was ‘very keen’ for Andrew to be appointed UK trade envoy, documents reveal
According to documents, Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth was “very keen” on former Prince Andrew being given the job of UK trade ambassador.
The UK government on Thursday released secret documents about the appointment, just months after MPs accused the King’s brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein before the nation.
David Wright, chief executive of British Trade International, said he had a “wide-ranging discussion” about Andrew’s appointment with the late Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary before the appointment was made.
“The Queen’s wish is for the Duke of Kent to succeed in this role. [as trade envoy] by the Duke of York,” Wright said in a document, referring to Mountbatten-Windsor’s previous title.
“The Queen is keen for the Duke of York to take on a key role in promoting the national interest.”
The late Queen’s involvement will confirm previously held beliefs that the monarch had a soft spot for her son; It’s an empathy that may have influenced her lack of resolve in dealing with allegations of Andrew’s connection to Epstein.
MPs passed a motion in February demanding the release of the documents after the onetime prince, now known only as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on charges related to allegations he shared government reports with Epstein while he was a trade envoy.
He was the first member of the British royal family to be arrested in over three centuries.
In a written statement to MPs, Business Secretary Chris Bryant said “we found no evidence that a formal due diligence or review process was undertaken” before Andrew’s appointment.
“There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable because this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion following the Duke of Kent’s decision to step down as Deputy Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board,” he said.
He said the government was co-operating with Thames Valley Police on the investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.
Emails released earlier this year suggest Mountbatten-Windsor passed government reports to the late convicted sex offender, Epstein, while serving as trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor met with King George III last year. He was stripped of his royal title as Charles sought to protect the monarchy from the growing fallout of the Epstein scandal. The former prince served as special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to step down amid concerns about his links to dubious figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.
The move comes after the US Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents related to Epstein. These files showed how the wealthy financier used an international network of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.
Nowhere were the effects of the document’s release felt more strongly than in the United Kingdom, where the scandal raised questions about the wielding of power by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential business owners known collectively as “the Establishment”.
Mountbatten-Windsor vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
