Sources tell The Guardian that Andrew was appointed as trade envoy at Elizabeth’s request and the government felt pressured to say yes

However, on Tuesday, the government bowed to pressure from MPs to sanction the release of documents relating to the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a British trade envoy in 2001.

Government sources from the time suggested that the request for the former prince to inherit the role from the Duke of Kent came from Buckingham Palace directly and was approved by ministers as a formality, as it was unlikely that No 10 would turn down an explicit call from the queen.