Newly released files state Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was not vetted for his 2001 appointment as UK trade envoy. The documents, published Thursday, May 21, say Queen Elizabeth II wished the Duke of York to take a prominent role in promoting national interests. Trade minister Chris Bryant told Parliament there is no evidence any formal due diligence or vetting occurred. Mountbatten Windsor was later stripped of royal titles and asked to leave his longtime home by King Charles III following his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and is accused of sharing confidential government and trade information with Epstein; he denies wrongdoing. This report focuses on what the files reveal and the official responses recorded.
