Downing Street issues statement after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor files released

Downing Street has confirmed that further documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as trade envoy in 2001 will be made public in due course.

Historic files released by the British government on Thursday confirm that no formal due diligence or security vetting took place before Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was given his trade envoy position.

The publication came after the Liberal Democrats deployed a rarely-used parliamentary mechanism to compel disclosure of records relating to his appointment as a government trade representative.

Labour backed the motion last month, forcing ministers to agree to the release.

A No 10 spokeswoman stated: “We are complying with the humble address and we’re publishing those documents as quickly as possible.

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“We’re also supporting the police investigation as you would expect.

“And we’ll provide the House with any other substantive documents we find in the course of that work.”

When questioned about whether the lack of background checks was acceptable, the spokeswoman revealed that no formal due diligence or vetting procedures had been conducted prior to the appointment.

She explained: "We have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken, and there's no evidence that this was considered."

According to the spokeswoman, this oversight occurred because the position was regarded as a natural extension of the Royal Family's existing trade promotion activities, following the Duke of Kent's decision to step down as vice chairman of British Trade International.

A total of 11 files connected to the former Duke of York were made public by Downing Street, offering fresh insight into his dealings with Tony Blair's administration at the time.

The newly-released documents reveal that the late Queen Elizabeth was "very keen" for her second son to take on the trade envoy role.

Sir David Wright, who served as chief executive of British Trade International, disclosed Her Majesty's enthusiasm in correspondence with then-foreign secretary Robin Cook.

The memo, dated February 2000, indicated the Queen wished for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to assume "a prominent role in the promotion of national interests".

The files also show that Andrew later expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of his duties, particularly complaining about visits to less developed countries during his decade-long tenure.

Between 2001 and 2011, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor held the position of Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, an unpaid appointment that granted him extensive access to senior figures in business and government across the globe.

The role enabled the late Queen's second son to travel internationally, meeting high-ranking officials and corporate leaders as part of his duties promoting British commercial interests.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody on 19 February, his 66th birthday, following allegations that he passed sensitive information to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as trade envoy.

He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Ministers have now confirmed that a dedicated Whitehall team has been established to examine archives held by the Business Department, Foreign Office and Cabinet Office.

The investigation aims to scrutinise his activities throughout his decade representing British commercial interests abroad, with officials continuing to search through historical records connected to his government role.

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