Letters from Charles will stay private

Published on 17/10/2012 02:25

The attorney general has vetoed disclosure of letters written by the Prince of Wales to ministers.

Dominic Grieve said that the correspondence between Charles and seven government departments was part of his “preparation for kingship”.

Making the letters public could potentially damage the principle of the heir to the throne being politically neutral, said Mr Grieve.

The government had been 
ordered to disclose the letters sent by Charles in 2004 and 2005, after a journalist won a freedom of information appeal.

Judges at a freedom of information tribunal ruled in favour of Rob Evans, of the Guardian, who had challenged a decision by the Information Commissioner to uphold a refusal by government departments to
release the correspondence.