Late Queen was 'very keen' for Andrew to be given trade envoy role

Queen Elizabeth II was "very keen" for her lad Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to go a commercialized envoy successful 2000, according to recently released files.

The files relating to Mountbatten-Windsor's commercialized envoy relation were released by the authorities successful effect to a petition by Sir Ed Davey, person of the Liberal Democrats.

The Queen wanted her lad to instrumentality connected a "prominent relation successful the promotion of nationalist interests", then-chief enforcement of British Trade International Sir David Wright said successful a memo to then-foreign caput Robin Cook, dated February 2000.

Mountbatten-Windsor acted arsenic the UK's peculiar typical for planetary commercialized and concern until 2011.

Sir Ed made a "humble address" successful Parliament connected 24 February, asking the authorities to merchandise each papers relating to the instauration of the presumption for Mountbatten-Windsor.

His petition came conscionable days aft Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested connected suspicion of misconduct successful nationalist bureau relating to the alleged sharing of confidential worldly with precocious enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was aboriginal released nether investigation.

Mountbatten-Windsor has ever rejected immoderate wrongdoing successful his associations with Epstein and denied immoderate idiosyncratic summation from his relation arsenic commercialized envoy.

One of the letters released arsenic portion of the documents expressed that Mountbatten-Windsor had a penchant for visiting "the much blase countries".

The missive is dated 25 January 2000 and is written by British diplomat Kathryn Colvin, but it is not wide who the missive was for.

It includes notes from a gathering betwixt Colvin and Captain Neil Blair, Mountbatten-Windsor's then-private secretary.

The missive states that Prince Andrew was "particularly bully connected high-tech matters, trade, younker (including superior schools and outward bound projects), taste events, with a penchant for ballet alternatively than theatre, the Commonwealth and subject and overseas affairs".

One enactment reads: "Captain Blair peculiarly asked that The Duke of York should not beryllium offered golfing functions abroad. This was a backstage enactment and if helium took his clubs with him helium would not play successful immoderate nationalist sense."

Another of the documents released connected Thursday is an interior telegram to unit of British Trade International - an organisation acceptable up by the authorities to beforehand commercialized - that confirmed Andrew's assignment arsenic a "special representative".

Sent connected 25 September 2001, it reads: "We envisage a programme overseas based astir 2 large determination visits per year. Other visits overseas volition beryllium considered, depending connected fund and different constraints."

The telegram advised of the request for "careful and sometimes strict media management", and "initial proposals should incorporate the outline of a media strategy".

The files, shared by the Department for Business and Trade, includes a foreword which explains that the authorities "acknowledges that determination is simply a long-standing normal of confidentiality successful narration to communications with oregon connected behalf of the Sovereign".

However, it said that successful this "exceptional case" it has decided to merchandise the communications astir Mountbatten-Windsor's "overseas visits, proposal to the precocious Queen connected his role, and the views of the precocious Queen connected processing the Special Representative relation for him".

Some of the pages see dense redactions. Trade Minister Chris Bryant says this is to region the "bare minimum" of idiosyncratic accusation and accusation that would prejudice planetary relations.

Among the files is simply a media Q&A connected the assignment of Mountbatten-Windsor from 2001. It states that helium would not beryllium paid for the relation but that his travel, related expenses, and those of his supporting unit would beryllium covered.

It adds that determination has "never been a request for immoderate outgo for bureau expenses" contempt speculation, stating that it was "made wide from the start" that lone expenses incurred successful the relation would beryllium covered.

The Q&A papers besides said that Mountbatten-Windsor would beryllium "promoting the interests of British-based manufacture arsenic a whole" successful his role.

The Government is not expecting to people immoderate much files astir the assignment of Andrew arsenic commercialized envoy, commercialized curate Sir Chris Bryant said.

Responding to a connection from Conservative shadiness curate Dame Harriett Baldwin aft helium had fixed a connection connected the release, Sir Chris said: "I warrant the House that if determination is much to publish, I volition travel backmost to the House with more, but I fishy that this whitethorn beryllium our past tranche."