Queen Elizabeth kept in the dark about Anthony Blunt's betrayal for nearly a decade
- Queen Elizabeth II was kept unaware of Anthony Blunt's espionage activities for nearly ten years after he confessed in 1964.
- Palace officials chose not to inform her due to fears it would unnecessarily worry her, considering the circumstances surrounding Blunt.
- The Queen took the revelation about Blunt’s activities calmly when she was finally informed in the 1970s.
In the United Kingdom, newly declassified MI5 documents reveal that Queen Elizabeth II remained unaware of the treachery of her long-time art advisor Anthony Blunt, a Soviet spy, for nearly a decade following his confession in 1964. Blunt, who held the position of Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, had passed sensitive information to the KGB during World War II but was allowed to keep his role amid fears of a public scandal. The Queen’s private secretary informed MI5 in 1972 that the monarch did not know and that informing her would only add to her concerns with no actionable consequences. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that she finally learned the full details regarding Blunt’s espionage activities, a revelation she greeted with calm and composure. The decision to eventually brief the Queen was spurred by concerns over impending media coverage following Blunt’s deteriorating health. Subsequently, he was publicly unmasked as a traitor in 1979 by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which further prompted discussions regarding his earlier actions and the implications for the royal family, who had indirectly been affected by his double life.