Overview

• Kim Philby's confession to MI6 colleague Nicholas Elliott, now public, reveals a mix of truth, lies, and unwavering loyalty to the Soviet Union.
• The files detail Philby's betrayal of Constantin Volkov, a KGB defector, ensuring Volkov's capture and execution by Soviet agents in 1945.
• Anthony Blunt's role as a Soviet spy and his position as Queen Elizabeth II's art adviser were disclosed, with the Queen reportedly reacting calmly when informed in the 1970s.
• MI5 agents described Philby as an 'enigma,' with interrogators unable to conclusively prove his guilt until his 1963 confession and subsequent defection to Moscow.
• The documents highlight the Cambridge Five's decades-long espionage, including their recruitment in the 1930s and the personal and national betrayals that reshaped Cold War intelligence.