The government has stated that no formal security vetting or due diligence appears to have been carried out before Prince Andrew, then the Duke of York, was appointed as a UK trade envoy in 2001. The admission came as documents were published showing that the late Queen Elizabeth II was “very keen” for her son to take on the role.
The first batch of papers, released on Thursday in response to a parliamentary move by the Liberal Democrats, includes a memo from David Wright, then chief executive of British Trade International (BTI), to Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. Dated 25 February 2000, it describes the Queen’s “wish” for Prince Andrew to promote British interests abroad.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a written statement that there was “no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” and no indication it was considered. However, he noted this was “understandable” as the appointment was a continuation of royal involvement in trade work, replacing the Duke of Kent.
Former civil servant Lord Turnbull, who was Treasury permanent secretary at the time, told the BBC that vetting the prince “would not have entered anyone’s head” and would have been “completely alien” in 2001, especially given the Queen’s support. The documents also reveal that Prince Andrew’s aides specified preferences for his visits, including “sophisticated countries” and avoiding private golfing functions.
Prince Andrew served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011, an unpaid role involving travel and meetings with senior business and government figures. An internal BTI telegram noted the need for “careful and sometimes strict media management” of his engagements.
