Queen Elizabeth II Kept in Dark for Nearly a Decade Over Soviet Spy Confession

The latest declassified MI5 documents expose how the monarch remained uninformed about Anthony Blunt's espionage activities until the 1970s, despite his confession in 1964. The Queen reportedly reacted calmly when informed, indicating prior suspicions.

Queen Elizabeth II was not formally informed that her senior art advisor, Anthony Blunt, had confessed to being a Soviet spy for nearly a decade, according to newly declassified MI5 files. Blunt, who served as the Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, admitted to his role as a Soviet agent in 1964, but it wasn't until the 1970s that Queen Elizabeth was officially briefed on the matter.

The MI5 documents revealed that concerns among Whitehall officials grew regarding the potential exposure of Blunt's espionage, especially after he fell seriously ill in the late 1970s. Journalists had begun to look into the story, prompting the decision to notify the Queen. When the news finally reached her, she surprisingly took it "calmly and without surprise," indicating that she may have already been aware of the rumors surrounding him since the earlier scandal involving fellow British spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean.

Suspicion about Blunt's activities had arisen in 1951 amid investigations into his connections with Burgess and Maclean, who defected to the Soviet Union. Although Blunt had denied any involvement with espionage during several interviews following 1951, information from American intelligence suggested otherwise.

In a confrontation in April 1964, MI5 interrogator Arthur Martin secured Blunt’s admission and offered him immunity from prosecution in return for his confession. Blunt acknowledged his connections with the Russian Intelligence Service and admitted to having been contacted by a Russian agent prior to the departure of Burgess and Maclean.

Despite the gravity of his confession, details about his espionage were kept from all but the highest levels of the British government. The Queen's private secretary was only informed that Blunt was being investigated, with the understanding that she would be updated if his health declined.

In March 1973, Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary communicated with her about the Blunt case, noting her calm demeanor and recognition of previous suspicions. There is speculation from Blunt’s biographer, Miranda Carter, that the Queen may have received informal briefings before 1973, suggesting a deliberate effort by officials to maintain plausible deniability regarding the scandal.

The matter was eventually made public by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979, exposing Blunt’s background as a Soviet spy. He died in 1983, having been stripped of his knighthood, while MI5 continues to release selected archival documents reflecting its ongoing work. The latest revelations deepen the narrative around espionage within the British elite during the Cold War era.