Buckingham Palace received emails six years ago that appear to show the Duke of York shared confidential information while serving as a government trade envoy, according to the BBC. The broadcaster reported that an archive of more than 30,000 emails was handed to the lord chamberlain in 2020.
The development comes as the duke faces a police investigation into allegations that he passed sensitive government information to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The palace said it was "not possible to provide any comment on these matters" due to the ongoing police inquiry. Thames Valley Police issued a fresh appeal for information last week and is also examining a claim of inappropriate behaviour at Royal Ascot.
The emails were reportedly obtained from the account of British businessman Jonathan Rowland, an associate of the duke, during a dispute. The BBC said it had seen court documents indicating the cache contained information about his financial dealings. Correspondence is understood to date up to June 2013.
Earlier this year, The Telegraph reported that the duke had requested confidential Treasury information about the Icelandic financial crisis in 2010 and shared it with Rowland, passing on details "before you make your move." The archive was later obtained by Kevin Stanford, former owner of All Saints, amid a separate dispute over Kaupthing Bank.
The duke's fall from grace followed a disastrous Newsnight interview in which he failed to apologise for his friendship with Epstein. He settled a civil claim with Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and abused by the duke. He denied the allegations and paid an out-of-court settlement reported to be about £12 million. The BBC said the emails were forwarded to the palace months after he stepped down as a working royal.
