Analysis of media coverage through media monitoring services

Queen Elizabeth II Kept Uninformed About Soviet Spy Anthony Blunt for Nearly a Decade

Jan 14, 2025, 09:19 AM

Newly declassified MI5 files have revealed that Queen Elizabeth II was not officially informed for nearly a decade that Anthony Blunt, her long-time art adviser and a member of the notorious Cambridge Five spy ring, had confessed to being a Soviet spy. Blunt, who served as the Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, admitted in 1964 to spying for the Soviet Union during and after World War II. The decision to keep the Queen in the dark was made by palace officials to avoid adding to her worries, according to the documents. It was not until 1973, when Blunt's health deteriorated and there were fears of media exposure following his potential death, that the Queen was finally briefed about Blunt's double life. The files indicate that she took the news calmly and without surprise, recalling suspicions about Blunt dating back to the early 1950s.