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Palace received emails in 2020 showing Prince Andrew shared confidential data
Buckingham Palace was given a 30,000-email archive six years ago that allegedly shows Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor passing sensitive government briefings to private business contacts while serving as a UK trade envoy, court records reveal.
Timeline of disclosure
In May 2020, the Lord Chamberlain-the most senior official in the Royal Household-received a copy of the archive, according to a High Court judgment handed down in April 2021. A follow-up ruling in June 2022 cited an email dated 10 July 2020 confirming the cache had been "delivered to Buckingham Palace."
The emails, spanning up to June 2013, were taken from the account of Jonathan Rowland, a business associate of the former prince, during a legal dispute with retail entrepreneur Kevin Stanford.
Content and significance
While the full contents remain undisclosed, published excerpts show Mountbatten-Windsor requested a confidential 2010 Treasury briefing on Iceland's banking crisis and forwarded it to Rowland "before you make your move." Rowland's father, David Rowland, had acquired the Luxembourg arm of the collapsed Icelandic bank Kaupthing, later renamed Banque Havilland, which faced UK and EU sanctions.
The archive's release to the Palace occurred after Mountbatten-Windsor stepped back from royal duties in late 2019 following his controversial BBC Newsnight interview.
Legal and police inquiries
Thames Valley Police, investigating Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office, issued a fresh appeal for witnesses last week. When asked if the force had accessed the 30,000 emails, a spokesperson declined to comment but urged anyone with relevant information to come forward.
Buckingham Palace stated it could not discuss the matter due to the ongoing police inquiry. The emails were received during the late Queen Elizabeth II's reign; under King Charles III, Mountbatten-Windsor has faced stricter scrutiny, including the removal of his royal titles.
"The law must take its course."
Statement from King Charles III following Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest
Broader context and calls for transparency
Historian Andrew Lownie criticized the lack of transparency surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor's tenure as trade envoy, citing repeated denials of Freedom of Information requests. Last month, the Foreign Office withheld details of a 2011 trip to Azerbaijan, citing national security and law enforcement concerns.
The Epstein Files, unsealed in the US earlier this year, further linked Mountbatten-Windsor to the Rowlands, with documents showing him endorsing their business ventures and describing David Rowland as his "trusted money man." His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, was also recorded receiving a "Rowland bank loan."
A government spokesperson confirmed cooperation with Thames Valley Police and noted the recent release of documents related to Mountbatten-Windsor's 2001 appointment as trade envoy.
Responses and denials
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing in his Epstein associations and rejected claims of personal gain from his trade envoy role. Jonathan Rowland and Kevin Stanford were contacted for comment but have not responded.
