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Formal security vetting and due diligence appears not to have been carried out before the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a trade envoy, the government has said, as it emerged that the late queen was “very keen” for her son to take up a prominent role in promoting Britain’s interests.
The first batch of documents relating to the appointment of the former prince as trade envoy by Tony Blair in 2001 includes a memo dated 25 February 2000 and addressed to Robin Cook, then the foreign secretary, in which the then chief executive of British Trade International, David Wright, said Queen Elizabeth II’s “wish” had been for Mountbatten-Windsor, then the Duke of York, to take on the role.
The government published historic documents concerning the appointment on Thursday in response to a parliamentary move by the Liberal Democrats and said it had found no evidence that formal due diligence or security vetting was carried out at the time, despite the role giving Mountbatten-Windsor access to senior government and business contacts around the world.
“We have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken. There is also no evidence that this was considered,” Chris Bryant, a trade minister, said in a written statement to parliament.
Bryant said this was “understandable since this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion work”, and because Mountbatten-Windsor was replacing the Duke of Kent, who was stepping down from his role as vice-chair of the Overseas Trade Board.
The government’s response, which includes the publication of 11 documents that show how the role was created and Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed, comes after the Liberal Democrats tabled a humble address in parliament calling for the publication of papers on his role, including any vetting and any correspondence from Peter Mandelson, the disgraced former ambassador to the US.
In the February 2000 memo to Cook, Wright suggested Mountbatten-Windsor’s role would include some regional trips and two or three overseas visits each year, as well as a “leading trade mission from time to time”.
He wrote: “Finally, we would want the Duke of York to be available to receive prominent trade visitors from overseas here in London and perhaps act as host at meals or receptions as appropriate.”
The senior official said he “did not envisage that the Duke of York would want to be burdened with the regularity of meetings of the board of British Trade International or the burden of paper which goes along with the board membership”.
Wright added: “We would nonetheless ensure that he was kept in touch with board developments and issues.”
The documents also show that Mountbatten-Windsor’s aide told the government that he preferred to go to “sophisticated countries” and to see ballet rather than theatre on overseas visits. He “should not be offered private golfing functions abroad”, said the aide, as this was a “private activity” and if the then prince “took his clubs with him, he would not play in any public sense”.
Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011, an unpaid role in which he travelled the world meeting senior business and government figures.
The second son of the late queen became the first royal family member to be arrested in modern times when he was held over claims of misconduct in public office. Emails appeared to show him sharing confidential information with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while working as the trade representative. He has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
