Buckingham Palace was handed emails six years ago that would have shown Prince Andrew sharing confidential government information while serving as a trade envoy, according to court documents. An archive of approximately 30,000 emails, containing details of the former prince's controversial financial dealings, was provided to the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer in the Royal Household, in May 2020.

The emails were taken from a personal business contact of Prince Andrew. When contacted, Buckingham Palace stated that "Since there is an ongoing police enquiry concerning Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, it is not possible to provide any comment on these matters." This statement comes as Thames Valley Police recently issued a fresh appeal for information following the former Duke of York's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office earlier this year.

However, a review of court documents has revealed that a significant collection of emails related to Prince Andrew's finances was already in the possession of Palace officials years before the current investigations commenced. Documents from a High Court judgment in April 2021 confirm that a copy of the email archive was provided to the Lord Chamberlain in May 2020. A subsequent High Court ruling in June 2022 referenced an email dated July 10, 2020, confirming the delivery of these emails to Buckingham Palace.

This handover occurred after Prince Andrew stepped down as a working royal in November 2019, following his BBC Newsnight interview. While the full contents of the archive, which includes emails up to June 2013, are not publicly known, certain revelations have shed light on their potential relevance. For instance, earlier this year, The Telegraph published emails suggesting that Prince Andrew had requested a confidential briefing from Treasury officials in 2010.

He then allegedly shared this briefing with a personal business contact, Jonathan Rowland. Rowland's father, David Rowland, had taken over the Luxembourg arm of a failed Icelandic bank, Kaupthing, which subsequently became Banque Havilland. Jonathan Rowland has previously confirmed aspects of this arrangement.

The emergence of these emails, and the fact they were provided to the Palace six years prior to recent inquiries, raises questions about the timeliness and effectiveness of internal handling of sensitive information. The court documents indicate a clear pathway for the information to reach senior royal officials.

The ongoing police investigation and the prior existence of this extensive email archive suggest a complex picture regarding Prince Andrew's past activities and the knowledge held by Buckingham Palace. The full implications of these emails for current and future proceedings remain unclear.

Further details regarding the specific contents of the 30,000 emails and the actions taken by Palace officials after their receipt are yet to be disclosed, particularly given the ongoing police inquiry. The court documents provide a timeline that predates the public scrutiny of the past few years.