A top university repeatedly blocked questions about its controversial handling of a royal family archive, telling press officers to “ignore” journalists and let calls go to the answerphone.
It follows a four-year battle by the University of Southampton to prevent diaries and correspondence from Lord and Lady Mountbatten from being made public. Born in 1900, Lord Mountbatten served as a mentor to King Charles and was seen as one of the most trusted and influential figures in the royal family.
The university purchased the diaries in 2011 for £2.8m using public money and pledged to “ensure public access” to the files. They were said to be of “immense national and historical importance”, covering major historical events such as the independence of India.
