The row over the Guardian's attempt to get information under the Freedom of Information Act of confidential letters written by Prince Charles to ministers.Despite a previous court order in the Papers favour Dominic Grieve, the attorney general, issued a veto that puts an absolute block on the publication of 27 letters between the prince and ministers over a seven-month period. Grieve said the letters contained the "particularly frank" and "most deeply held personal views and beliefs" of the prince.
In a statement on Tuesday justifying his use of the veto, Grieve said:
"Much of the correspondence does indeed reflect the Prince of Wales's most deeply held personal views and beliefs. The letters in this case are in many cases particularly frank.
"They also contain remarks about public affairs which would in my view, if revealed, have had a material effect upon the willingness of the government to engage in correspondence with the Prince of Wales, and would potentially have undermined his position of political neutrality."
Grieve continued: "In summary, my decision is based on my view that the correspondence was undertaken as part of the Prince of Wales's preparation for becoming king. The Prince of Wales engaged in this correspondence with ministers with the expectation that it would be confidential. Disclosure of the correspondence could damage the Prince of Wales's ability to perform his duties when he becomes king.
"It is a matter of the highest importance within our constitutional framework that the monarch is a politically neutral figure able to engage in confidence with the government of the day, whatever its political colour."
"Political Neutrality " doesn't mean that you cannot have views but in this case Charles Windsor wrote to Minister and it appears that he may have tried to influence policy .
So he has broken the Tacit contract that he doesn't try and interfere in government and clearly these letters show he had been trying to influence Ministers.
It is clearly rubbish for Grieve to claim that the correspondence was undertaken as part of the Prince of Wales's preparation for becoming king. He has advisors for this and is probably briefed regularly on al aspects of Government , But knowing what's the government is doing on and the (Head of State at least ) should know bis different from saying What the government should do
We particularly need to know if he has been lobbying on judgments s over the activities Dutchy of Cornwall Estates of that provides Charles with a £17m-a-year private income should be made public.
Taxpayers give Charles and the rest of his family a lavish lifestyle on the understanding that they do not meddle in government. Political Neutrality is not Political Anonymity and we need to know what Charles Windsor and the rest of his family have been up to, He is already many more privileges than the rest of us it seems that he wishes to increase them
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