Queen Elizabeth II Was Very Keen to Appoint Prince Andrew Trade Envoy in 2001

Documents released Thursday show the late Queen Elizabeth II was “very keen” that former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor be named Britain’s trade envoy in 2001, with the appointment tied to a letter dated Feb. 25, 2000.

“Documents show Queen Elizabeth was eager for ex-Prince Andrew to become trade envoy Documents show Queen Elizabeth was eager for ex-Prince Andrew to become trade envoy LONDON (AP) — The late Queen Elizabeth II was “very keen” for former Prince Andrew to be named Britain’s trade envoy in 2001, according to documents released Thursday that showed his appointment received little scrutiny from government ministers”

AP News

The New York Times reported that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was being investigated by British police over accusations he shared confidential documents with Jeffrey Epstein, and it said he was briefly arrested in February but has not been charged and denies wrongdoing.

AP News

The AP said the government released confidential papers after lawmakers accused the king’s brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation, and it quoted the trade body letter: “The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests.”

The AP also said Mountbatten-Windsor served as Britain’s special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

In parallel, the New York Times said the documents released on Thursday do not suggest that Peter Mandelson was involved in getting Mountbatten-Windsor the post, and it noted Mandelson was fired last year as Britain’s ambassador to the United States over his links to Epstein.

Britain’s Trade Minister Chris Bryant told lawmakers that “we have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” before Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed, and the AP said the government was cooperating with Thames Valley Police on the investigation.

The CNN report likewise said the British government found no evidence that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was vetted prior to his appointment as a trade envoy in 2001, and it quoted Bryant’s finding that “There is also no evidence that this was considered.”

BBC

The AP said lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the former prince was arrested and questioned for several hours on allegations he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

The New York Times added that after pressure from lawmakers in the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, some official records about his appointment were released on Thursday, and it described the documents as shedding light on how he got the appointment.

In the same reporting, the New York Times said the information he has been accused of sharing with Epstein relates to his work as a British trade envoy, a post he held between 2001 and 2011.

The documents’ release has fed scrutiny of how the appointment was handled, with the AP describing the late Queen’s “very keen” stance and the lack of due diligence, while the New York Times said the repercussions from the appointment have dogged Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.

“The British government has found no evidence that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was vetted prior to his appointment as a trade envoy in 2001, a minister said Thursday, alongside the release of documents which showed that the former prince’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, pushed for his appointment to such a role”

CNN

The AP said Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles, including Duke of York, last year and is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and it said he was arrested and questioned for several hours on allegations he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

The New York Times reported that the documents released on Thursday do not suggest Peter Mandelson was involved in getting the trade envoy post, and it said the information accused of sharing relates to Andrew’s work as a British trade envoy held between 2001 and 2011.

CNN reported that the documents were made public after opposition lawmakers asked the government to release all papers related to the creation of the role of “Special Representative for Trade and Investment” and Mountbatten-Windsor’s controversial appointment to that position.

Together, the AP and CNN framing leaves the immediate consequence squarely on the ongoing police investigation and the question of whether the appointment process included any formal vetting, as Bryant said there was no evidence of due diligence or vetting and the government is cooperating with Thames Valley Police.