London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Queen Elizabeth's Lawyer Lobbied Government to Hide 'Embarrassing' Personal Investments

Queen Elizabeth's Lawyer Lobbied Government to Hide 'Embarrassing' Personal Investments

The true extent of Queen Elizabeth's wealth has never been made public but it is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of pounds.

Uncovered government documents found in the UK's National Archives reveal that Queen Elizabeth's private lawyer pressured politicians to change legislation so her shareholdings could remain undisclosed, according to a report in The Guardian on Sunday.

Following an intervention by Buckingham Palace, Conservative ministers during the government of Ted Heath included a clause into the law which gave the government the ability to give an exemption to firms owned by “heads of state” from new legislation on corporate transparency.

The reports show that lawyers acting on behalf of Her Majesty invoked the Queen’s consent arrangement. Under this system, the reigning monarch is informed if a law could impact either the royal prerogative or private interests prior to parliamentary approval.

According to the archived memos, in November 1973 the Queen was concerned that the proposed bill to bring transparency to corporate shareholdings would open her finances to public criticism.

The Queen's private lawyer Matthew Farrer reportedly spoke to employees of the then Department of Trade and Industry regarding the proposed new measures in the bill. Farrer reportedly claimed that the Queen was worried about the possibility of her private investments being revealed.

A Civil Servant named CM Drukker said on 9 November that he spoke with Mr Farrer, who relayed to him his client's concern "over the risk of disclosure to directors of a company as to shareholders and the general public".

“He justifies this not only because of the risk of inadvertent or indiscreet leaking to other people”, Drukker continued, adding that "basically because disclosure to any person would be embarrassing".

Downing Street subsequently proposed the inclusion of an additional clause to the legislation which would permit the government to give specific firms exemption from otherwise mandatory shareholder revelation. After the general election that same year which put the Labour Party into power, the Harold Wilson government maintained the bill unaltered and it became law in 1976.

Members of Britain's Royal family from left, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, background Timothy Laurence, Princess Beatrice, Prince Philip, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William watch a fly past as they appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, after attending the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony in London, Saturday, June 17, 2017


A spokesperson for the Queen told The Guardian that “Queen’s consent is a parliamentary process, with the role of sovereign purely formal. Consent is always granted by the monarch where requested by the government".

“Whether Queen’s consent is required is decided by parliament, independently from the royal household, in matters that would affect crown interests, including personal property and personal interests of the monarch."

“If consent is required, draft legislation is, by convention, put to the sovereign to grant solely on the advice of ministers and as a matter of public record."

Despite the use of the Queen’s consent system typically being recorded in the parliamentary debate recorder 'Hansard' before a bill's third reading, no such notification of consent for the 1976 law can be found.

An exemption is given almost immediately following the law's approval to a company called Bank of England Nominees Limited, controlled by top Bank of England officials, which has been previously highlighted as a potential possible funnel through which the Queen owns shares.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×