Britain’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that 27 “frank” letters written by Prince Charles to ministers in 2004-2005 can be disclosed to the media, a step that could cast doubt over the political neutrality of the future king.
The Guardian newspaper has sought for a decade to obtain the letters sent to ministers under then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, but successive governments have acted to prevent publication for fear of undermining the position of the heir to the throne.
Prime Minister David Cameron called the Supreme Court judgment “disappointing” and said the government would now consider how to release the letters.
“This is about the principle that senior members of the royal family are able to express their views to government confidentially. I think most people would agree this is fair enough,” Cameron said.
A spokeswoman for Charles at Clarence House, his official London residence, said: “Clarence House is disappointed the principle of privacy has not been upheld.”
Under Britain’s unwritten constitution, the royal family is supposed to remain politically neutral.
Queen Elizabeth has kept her opinions to herself during her 63-year reign, but Charles has expressed views about subjects close to his heart such as nature conservation and architecture.
His letters, nicknamed “black spider memos” because of his scrawled handwriting, are potentially controversial if they create the perception he disagreed with ministers and tried to influence policies.
Thursday’s ruling is an unwelcome public relations setback for Charles, whose aides have worked hard to improve his image after his 1996 divorce from his popular wife Princess Diana and the fallout from her death in a Paris car crash in 1997.
