Britain due to publish Prince Charles’ controversial ‘black spider memos’

A series of potentially embarrassing letters written by Britain’s Prince Charles to government ministers in 2004-2005 will be published on Wednesday, a step that could cast doubt over the political neutrality of the future king.

The British government has long blocked disclosure of what it has called the “particularly frank” letters, but its veto on publication was declared unlawful by the Court of Appeal last year, a decision which was upheld by the Supreme Court in March.

The 27 letters to ministers in seven government departments have been dubbed the ‘black spider memos’ because of the prince’s scrawled handwriting.

They will be published, with some redactions, after a ruling on Tuesday by the Upper Tribunal of Britain’s Administrative Appeals Chamber that they should be released on Wednesday.

They will be handed over to the Guardian newspaper, which has fought through the courts for a decade to obtain the letters sent to ministers under then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

A Guardian spokesman said they would be published on the paper’s website and on that of the Information Commissioner, although no precise time was yet available.