Guardian efforts to publish Prince Charles' government letters blocked by senior judges
An eight year media battle for the right to publish letters from Prince Charles to MPs which could have influenced goverment policy has been blocked by three senior judges.
Letters: The public won't find out the contents of the correspondence
In September last year thee judges in a Freedom of Information tribunal overturned a decision by the government to refuse to provide copies of correspondence between Prince Charles and ministers in seven government departments to the Guardian. It was deemed in the public interest "for there for be transparency as to how and when Prince Charles seeks to influence government".
However, the decision was then blocked by a veto from attorney general Dominic Grieve a month later with cabinet support, on the basis that revealing the content of the letters - known as the 'black spider memos' because of their scratchy handwriting - could threaten the future monarch's politically neutral reputation.
The Guardian took the fight to the High Court, where three judges upheld the attorney general's decision, ruling Grieve had acted in a "proper and rational way" in the public interest.
The story has raised concerns over the influence of members of the royal family - who are unelected by the public - on government policies in a democracy.
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