Cabinet Office accused of cover-up after release of official papers referring to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor blocked
Cabinet Office blames ‘administrative error’ for Andrew ‘cover up’
- The Cabinet Office has been accused of a cover-up after official papers referring to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were withheld from the National Archives.
- Minutes from a 2004-2005 No 10 file, detailing Andrew's travel plans as a trade envoy, were initially made available to journalists under embargo but subsequently redacted before public release.
- The Cabinet Office blamed an "administrative error" for the withholding, stating the documents were never intended for public disclosure.
- Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic and Labour MP Rachael Maskell criticised the lack of transparency, arguing there is no justification for withholding the papers, especially given Andrew's stripped royal status and links to Jeffrey Epstein.
- The incident highlights a broader pattern of files relating to the royal family being routinely withheld from public release under the Public Records Act.