Britain's High Court refuses to disclose letters sent by Prince Charles

July 9, 2013 at 11:05AM

LONDON — Britain's High Court says it has upheld a decision that prevents the disclosure of letters sent by Prince Charles to senior government ministers.

The High Court ruled Tuesday that Attorney General Dominic Grieve acted reasonably when he decided last year that the public had no right to see Charles' correspondence with seven U.K. government departments.

Grieve says the "particularly frank" letters reflect Charles' personal views and that Britons might not think that he is politically neutral — as a monarch must be. The worry is that the institution would be undermined.

The Guardian newspaper has campaigned for eight years to have the documents released, claiming they would shed light on how the heir to the throne attempted to influence government ministers despite holding no elected position.

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