In a letter to The Times at the beginning of January (see below), Alistair Lexden expressed concern about the difficulties faced by historians as a result of the failure of those responsible for the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle to produce and administer clear, consistent and transparent rules for access to them. Two months later the issue of access resurfaced, prompting a further letter which was published in The Times on March 6.
Sir, Royal archivists are expecting a request from the Jay inquiry for access to papers bearing on royal support for a charity which condoned the abuse of children sent to Australia after the war (article and leader, Mar.4). The archivists’ contention that all the documents in their care are purely private property cannot be sustained. Nor should they retain unfettered discretion as to who should be allowed to consult them. Well-defined and transparent provision for access must be established. As I have discovered, the swift intervention of parliament cannot be readily secured. Diplomacy by the British Academy recently produced a set of terms under which reams of Foreign Office documents will be opened in a consistent fashion. The academy should now make a visit to Windsor Castle, where the royal archives are stored.
LORD LEXDEN
House of Lords