Queen Elizabeth II was “very keen” that former Prince Andrew be given the job of UK trade envoy, documents show.
The UK government on Thursday released the confidential papers related to the appointment, just months after lawmakers accused the King’s brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation.
David Wright, the chief executive of British Trade International, said that before the appointment was made, he had a “wide-ranging discussion” with the late Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary about Andrew’s appointment.
“The Queen’s wish is that the Duke of Kent should be succeeded in this role [as trade envoy] by the Duke of York,” Wright said in one document, referring to Mountbatten-Windsor’s previous title.
“The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests.”
The involvement of the late Queen will confirm previously held beliefs that the monarch held a soft spot for her son – an empathy that might have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations of Andrew’s connection to Epstein.
Lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the one-time prince, now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on charges related to allegations that he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.
He was the first member of the British royal family to be arrested in more than three centuries.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a written statement to lawmakers that “we have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” before Andrew was appointed to the role.
“There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable since 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 relinquish his duties as Vice-Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board,” he said.
He said that the government was cooperating with Thames Valley Police on their investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.
Emails released earlier this year suggest that Mountbatten-Windsor, while serving as trade envoy, forwarded government reports to Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title last year as King Charles III tried to insulate the monarchy from the growing fallout from the Epstein scandal. The former prince served as a special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.
The move followed the US Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein. Those files showed how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.
Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the UK, where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential business owners, known collectively as “the Establishment”.
Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
