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Cabinet Office Pulls Andrew Files From National Archives, Citing 'Administrative Error'

Officials say an administrative error led to the last-minute redactions under an absolute royal records exemption.

A government document detailing Mountbatten-Windsor's travel expenses was quietly pulled from public view (Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters)
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Then prince Andrew arrives at an engagement in Canary Wharf in 2011. Later that year he stepped back as an international trade envoy following revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty)

Overview

  • A Downing Street file on royal visits from 2004–05, briefly shared with reporters under embargo, was later released to the public with references to Andrew removed.
  • The withdrawn minutes covered his travel as a UK trade envoy and a proposed £90,000 transfer of costs from UK Trade and Industry to the Royal Travel Office.
  • The Cabinet Office says the inclusion was unintended and relied on the Royal Family’s absolute exemption under FOI and the Public Records Act to withhold the material.
  • Republic’s Graham Smith and author Andrew Lownie accused officials of a cover-up and urged publication, while Labour MP Rachael Maskell pressed the government to explain the decision.
  • Journalists who saw the pages said they appeared unremarkable, and the episode coincided with new US DOJ releases of Epstein-related documents and Andrew’s recent loss of remaining royal titles.