Queen Elizabeth was pushed to take her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor into a ‘prominent role in the promotion of national interests’, newly released files show.
of the government has released some of the documents relating to the appointment of Mountbatten-Windsor as a senior UK trade envoy from Tony Blair2001 Govt.
They show the discussions that took place around the selection of the former Duke of York to step into the shoes of the Duke of Kent as an envoy for the government body British Trade International (BTI).
A letter from then BTI chief David Wright to then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook detailed a meeting with the Queen’s Private Secretary Robin Janvrin.
It said: “The Queen is very interested that the Duke of York should take a prominent role in promoting national interests.
No other member of The The Royal Family would be available to succeed the Duke of Kent. The Duke of York’s endorsement of his role would seem a natural fit.’
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Later, it was explained in a telegram to all trade staff that Mountbatten-Windsor would ‘change to a more active role’ than the Queen’s cousin at BTI.
In a letter outlining his interests in this area, Division Chief of Protocol Kathryn Colvin lists among his preferences ‘youth (including primary schools and outdoor projects)’ and ‘cultural events, with a preference for ballet rather than theatre’.
The former king served as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for a decade before stepping down amid controversy over his spending in 2011.
He was stripped of titles, including prince and Duke of York, last year after revelations about his friendship with the sex offender. Jeffrey Epstein.
Today’s release of the documents follows Liberal Democrats presented a modest address requesting that communications about the meeting be made public.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant told MPs this morning that the government had found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process had been undertaken or even considered before selecting Mountbatten-Windsor for the role.
In a written statement, he said: “This is understandable as this new appointment was a continuation of the Royal Family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion work following the Duke of Kent’s decision to stand down from his duties as Deputy Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board.”
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