The British government is accused of intervening to protect the royal family after it blocked the publication of sensitive documents intended for the National Archives.

These documents included minutes regarding the travel expenses of Prince Andrew and other information related to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Cabinet Office cited an "administrative error" for the withdrawal of the documents, which led to accusations of cover-up. Graham Smith, the director of the organization Republic, emphasized that the royal family should not benefit from exceptions regarding transparency.

The withdrawn documents contained details about royal visits to various countries and possible additional expenses for Prince Andrew. There were also references to an apology letter from John Major's office for a wrongly addressed telegram to the Queen Mother.