Queen Unaware of Blunt's Espionage for a Decade

Newly declassified MI5 files reveal that Queen Elizabeth II was kept in the dark about Anthony Blunt, one of her senior courtiers and a member of the notorious Cambridge Five, being a Soviet spy for nearly a decade after his confession in 1964. Blunt, who served as the Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures, admitted to espionage activities dating back to the 1930s, but palace officials withheld this information to avoid adding to the Queen’s worries. The Queen was finally informed in 1973 as Blunt's health deteriorated and concerns over potential media exposure grew. Although she reacted calmly, suspicions about Blunt had existed since the early 1950s. Despite his confession and collaboration with MI5, Blunt retained his knighthood until publicly outed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979, after which he was stripped of his title. These revelations are part of a larger exhibition at the National Archives showcasing the history of MI5.