Andrew 'Air Miles Andy' files fly back into turbulence

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is once again at the centre of an uncomfortable transparency row, after an anti-monarchy campaigner accused Buckingham Palace of leaning on government officials to keep sensitive documents firmly under wraps.

Graham Smith, chief executive of campaign group Republic, has claimed there is “no justification” for withholding files relating to the former Duke's time as the UK’s special trade envoy.

According to Smith, any notion of a royal exemption should no longer apply, given Andrew’s fall from grace and his removal from public duties following his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Smith alleges the most likely explanation for the continued secrecy is pressure from the Palace itself, calling for the documents to be released “without fear or favour” so the public can draw its own conclusions.

The controversy centres on censored government records detailing Andrew’s overseas trips between 2004 and 2005. 

Files were due to be released to the National Archives under the standard 20-year rule and were briefly shared with journalists under embargo before redactions emerged.

Critics argue the episode risks fuelling suspicion rather than quelling it, especially as calls grow louder for greater transparency around Andrew’s past public role. 

Just ten days ago, the Cabinet Office quietly removed 16 pages from an 80-page government file, later blaming the sudden redactions on an “administrative error” and insisting the material was never intended for public view.

Surviving documents show senior palace aides and Foreign Office officials discussing Andrew’s proposed visits to destinations including China, Russia, Spain, and, south-east Asia trips that helped cement his reputation as “Air Miles Andy.”