Anti-monarchy group chief slams UK government for withholding Andrew documents

The Anti-monarchy group Republic chief Graham Smith has accused the Palace of applying pressure on government officials to suppress documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities as a trade envoy.

The GB News quoted Smith as saying there should be no royal exemption at all.

He said that withholding the files cannot be justified, particularly given Andrew's diminished royal standing following his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

"There should be no royal exemption at all. But this exemption surely doesn't apply to Andrew now he's no longer a royal,” the anti-monarch chief said.

He further said, "The most likely reason for this attempt to stop disclosure is pressure from the Palace."

Graham Smith also urged the government to release the documents "without fear or favour, to allow the public to make informed judgments."

The Guardian also shared Smith comments.

The group chief tweeted the story on X, formerly Twitter handle, saying “The government is blocking the release of official documents relating to Andrew. The royals have a unique and unjustifiable exemption from freedom of info laws, but Andrew is no longer a royal.”

Smith remarks came days after the Downing Street file on royal visits, from 2004 and 2005, was briefly shared with journalists under embargo ahead of the annual release of government papers to the National Archives in Kew, west London, under the 20-year rule.

However, the documents were withdrawn and the version sent to the archives for public viewing had these details and others about Andrew redacted.