Prince Charles 'Black Spider' letters released: Publication will 'inhibit' ability to make views known, says Palace

The Prince of Wales offered opinions on a number of issues

What are Prince Charles' 'black spider' memos? (Getty Images)

The making public of correspondence between Prince Charles and government ministers will "inhibit" the ability of the heir to the throne to raise concerns, Clarence House has said.

In a statement a spokesperson for the Prince's official residence said the royal "cares deeply about this country."

"The Prince of Wales believes, as have successive Governments, that he should have a right to communicate privately. The publication of private letters can only inhibit his ability to express the concerns and suggestions which have been put to him in the course of his travels and meetings," the statement said.

"This view has been given effect by Parliament, which passed legislation in 2010 to ensure that the communications of The Prince of Wales, and that of The Queen, should be exempt from publication under the Freedom of Information Act. This change emphasised the unique constitutional positions of the Sovereign and the Heir to the Throne. Clarence House continues to believe in the principle of privacy.'

The letters between Labour government ministers and the Prince dating from between September 2004 and March 2005 were released after a decade-long legal and tribunal action by the Guardian newspaper.

The newly released letters include:

• Prince Charles warning then Prime Minister Tony Blair over a lack of 'necessary resources' for the Armed Forces in Iraq
• Prince Charles lobbying Blair in support of 'alternative medicines'
• The monarch joking that his letter could be released under the Freedom of Information Act
• The heir 'lobbying successive Education Secretaries with his 'old-fashioned views' on education
• Future king describing opponents to badger cull as 'intellectually dishonest'
• Prince of Wales raising concerns over 'illegal fishing of the Patagonian Toothfish'

He also discussed herbal medicine with the PM in person and said an EU directive on the subject was having "a deleterious effect on the complementary medicine sector in this country".

In one of the correspondences the Prince says that the prime minister asked him to put his thoughts in writing, and indicates that he is aware of the Freedom of Information Act.

The Government opposed the release of the correspondence and today said there was a "strong case" for strengthening ministers' veto over the release of documents.