The U.K. government's release of classified documents this week has shed new light on Queen Elizabeth II's role in securing a trade envoy post for Prince Andrew, The Associated Press reports.
A letter from the head of Britain's trade body states that "The Queen is very keen that the Duke $DUK of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests." A separate internal memo circulated to British trade officials globally flagged that Andrew's "high public profile" would necessitate "careful and sometimes strict media management."
In a written statement to parliament, Trade Minister Chris Bryant disclosed that the review turned up "no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken" ahead of Andrew's appointment, nor any indication that such a process had ever been contemplated. Bryant said the government was cooperating with Thames Valley Police on an investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.
King Charles III moved to distance the monarchy from the Epstein controversy last year by stripping Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal title. The trade envoy role itself had already ended a decade earlier, in 2011, after questions arose about his ties to controversial individuals in Libya and Azerbaijan, according to The Associated Press.
The newly disclosed papers come in the wake of a massive document dump by the U.S. Justice Department tied to Epstein, files that detailed how the financier leveraged a globe-spanning circle of wealthy and powerful associates to sexually exploit young women and girls. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing.