The government is facing serious allegations of orchestrating a cover-up to protect the Royal Family after it blocked the publication of historical documents detailing Prince Andrew's publicly-funded foreign trips.
Last-Minute Withdrawal Sparks Fury
Under the standard 20-year rule, the National Archives was set to release the minutes of a 2004 Royal Visits Committee meeting on 30 December 2025. These papers contained a revealing discussion about allocating an extra £90,000 from the Royal Travel Office to fund the then-prince's overseas travel. However, in a move that has ignited controversy, the Cabinet Office ordered the file to be marked as 'closed' at the very last moment.
The department invoked a legal exemption designed for information pertaining to the Royal Family. This single file was among ten similar documents censored from public view, with four of those decisions made in the week leading up to the scheduled release.
'No Royal Exemption' for Andrew, Campaigners Argue
Graham Smith, from the republican campaign group Republic, condemned the decision. He argued that the royal exemption should not apply to Andrew, who was stripped of his HRH style and princely title by King Charles III in October 2025 over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
'There should be no royal exemption at all,' Smith stated. 'But this exemption surely doesn’t apply to Andrew now he’s no longer a royal. The most likely reason for this attempt to stop disclosure is pressure from the palace.'
He added that the Royal Family was seeking to keep matters related to Andrew 'under wraps' to protect the institution itself, labelling the monarchy as one of the UK's most secretive organisations.
What the Hidden Documents Revealed
Before their withdrawal, the documents were briefly available to journalists. They listed a series of forthcoming destinations for Andrew's trade envoy work, including:
- China
- Russia
- Brunei
- Oman
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- France
- Spain
The minutes, written by Sir Stephen Brown, indicated the need for the additional £90,000 to fund these trips. The committee also debated whether Andrew should attend the EURO 2004 football tournament in Portugal. In a contrasting decision, the same meeting rejected a proposal for Prince William to visit China, advising he should not undertake official duties until he was at least 25.
Cabinet Office Blames 'Administrative Error'
Facing criticism, the Cabinet Office, responsible for transferring files to the National Archives, claimed the release was an 'administrative error' and the documents were never intended for publication. A spokesman said: 'All records are managed in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act. Any release is subject to an extensive review process, including engaging expert stakeholders.'
This incident coincides with renewed scrutiny of Andrew's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of files by the US Department of Justice. These included an email from an account named 'Balmoral', signed 'A xxx', which asked Ghislaine Maxwell if she had found 'some new inappropriate friends' to have 'fun' with. Sky News reported it believes 'A' refers to Andrew, though the context is unclear and no wrongdoing is suggested.
Another FBI file revealed a tip-off about alleged hidden evidence of 'pedophilia organised by Jeffrey Epstein for Prince Andrew'. Prince Andrew has consistently and strongly denied any wrongdoing related to his association with Epstein.
The annual archive release also contained other historical insights, including a Downing Street apology to the Queen Mother for a botched birthday greeting and internal discussions about the challenges of removing Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe from power.
