Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor preferred to visit ‘more sophisticated countries’, trade envoy files show

Mountbatten-Windsor had a choice for visiting “the most sophisticated countries”, and “should not be offered golfing functions abroad”, in accordance to a letter launched as a part of the paperwork.

The letter is dated 25 January 2000 and is written by British diplomat Kathryn Colvin, though it’s not clear who the letter was for.

It consists of notes from a gathering she had held with Mountbatten-Windsor’s then-private secretary Captain Neil Blair.

Colvin writes she was informed that Prince Andrew was “particularly good on high-tech matters, trade, youth (including primary schools and outward bound projects), cultural events, with a preference for ballet rather than theatre, the Commonwealth and military and foreign affairs.”

Captain Blair, in accordance to the letter, stated Mountbatten-Windsor “tended to prefer the more sophisticated countries, particularly those in the lead on technology,” Colvin added. A line after that’s redacted within the launched doc.

She continued: “Captain Blair particularly asked that The Duke of York should not be offered golfing functions abroad. This was a private activity and if he took his clubs with him he would not play in any public sense.”

• In an announcement, the federal government says it has drafted paperwork “to remove the bare minimum of personal information and information whose release would prejudice international relations.”