LONDON (AP) — The British government has released previously secret letters written by Prince Charles to government officials — letters that were the subject of a lengthy legal battle that pitted Charles’ right to privacy against the public’s right to know.
The cache of 27 letters includes letters written a decade ago to former Prime Minister Tony Blair and other top officials on topics that include agriculture, the status of the armed forces, badger culling, redevelopment in Northern Ireland and other matters.
As the future king, Charles is expected to remain neutral on political topics. The British government tried for years to keep the letters secret — fearing that publishing them might damage public perceptions of Charles’ neutrality — but eventually lost a Freedom of Information case brought by The Guardian newspaper.
Charles’ press office issued a statement Wednesday defending the letters.
“The letters published by the Government show The Prince of Wales expressing concern about issues that he has raised in public like the state of farming, the preservation and regeneration of historic buildings, the re-use of disused hospital buildings, the professional development of schoolteachers, and others,” the Clarence House statement said. “In all these cases, The Prince of Wales is raising issues of public concern, and trying to find practical ways to address the issues.”
Charles had earlier said he is unhappy his privacy was not protected. The government has also indicated it may tighten rules to protect future royal communications from release under the Freedom of Information rules.
There were signs of tension Wednesday as a senior press officer working for Charles tore the cover off the microphone being used by a TV reporter who asked Charles about the letters.
The government was ordered to release the letters in 2012 after losing its court case. But the attorney general vetoed the decision, arguing that Charles’ letters were part of his preparation to become king and should be kept private.
That was upheld by one court, but then overturned in 2014 by the Court of Appeal, which decided there was no justification for overturning the earlier decision. Britain’s Supreme Court in March supported that ruling, leading to Wednesday’s publication of the memos.
The government was expected to make some redactions in the memos.
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