Prince Charles letters reveal defence pressure

Prince Charles wrote to Tony Blair while he was still prime minister in 2004 to protest about "pressure on the defence budget" that was leaving troops without the "necessary resources", according to private correspondence released by the government on Wednesday.

The letter is one of 27 that have been released following a lengthy legal battle. The correspondence between the heir to the British throne and seven government departments, covers an eight-month period and includes subjects as diverse as badger culling, herbal medicine and the dominance of supermarkets.

In one letter to the environment department, he tells Elliot Morley, the fisheries minister: "I particularly hope the illegal fishing of the Patagonian toothfish will be high on your list of priorities because until that trade is stopped, there is little hope for the poor old albatross, for which I shall continue to campaign."

He also asked if there was any role the Royal Navy might play in preventing illegal fishing, writing: "I daresay you will tell me there are all sorts of legal problems that prevent any worthwhile action!"

Dubbed the "black spider memos" because of the prince's distinctive handwriting, the letters offer a glimpse at the private views and beliefs of the heir to the throne, but few big surprises.

There is an unwritten rule that British monarchs never speak out on political matters and the Queen has never commented in public on political issues during her 60-year reign. But Prince Charles has for decades sought to influence public opinion on issues such as architecture and the environment through speeches and articles.

In the letter to Mr Blair, Prince Charles raised concerns about the performance of the Lynx, one of the army's main battlefield helicopters, which could not cope with the high temperatures encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I fear this is just one more example of where our Armed Forces are being asked to do an extremely challenging job (particularly in Iraq) without the necessary resources," he wrote.

The prince also complained to Mr Blair about the delay in replacing the ageing Lynx aircraft, writing: "The procurement of new aircraft to replace the Lynx is subject to further delays and uncertainty due to the significant pressure on the defence budget."

Mr Blair replied about a month later assuring Prince Charles, who holds a honorary five-star rank in all three armed services, that "our future investment in helicopters will be substantial" and that the replacement of the Lynx's capabilities "will be a priority".

The letters have been released following a 10-year legal battle between the government and The Guardian newspaper. Ministers sought to protect Prince Charles from scrutiny in late 2012 when Dominic Grieve, the then attorney-general, blocked the release of the letters months after The Guardian won a tribunal that ordered their publication.

But in March, the Supreme Court overturned the government veto on publication of the letters, which were first requested by The Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act in April 2005.

Clarence House, the prince's London residency, said on Wednesday that ministers had "often encouraged" the prince "to communicate his experience, or indeed, his concerns or suggestions".

A spokesman said the prince's 600 plus engagements a year gave him "a unique perspective" and said Prince Charles believed he "should have the right to communicate privately". He said this view was supported by parliament, which had amended the FOI act in 2010 to exempt Prince Charles and the Queen from further publication of correspondence.

The correspondence that has been released is limited to an eight-month period from September 2004 because the newspaper wanted to avoid having its request blocked under FOI rules that can reject applications covering too much information.

Republic, an antimonarchy campaign group, on Wednesday called on the government to repeal the changes made to the FOI act in 2010.

The prime minister's spokesman said the government would consider strengthening ministers' rights to veto publication of any material under the FOI act.

Additional reporting by Jane Croft and Helen Warrell

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