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| MI5 and Queen's officials protected royal family over Cambridge spy | MI5 and Queen's officials protected royal family over Cambridge spy |
| (5 months later) | |
| MI5 conspired with palace courtiers to shield the royal family from growing evidence that Anthony Blunt, later knighted as surveyor of the Queen's pictures, was a Soviet spy, hitherto secret diaries reveal. | MI5 conspired with palace courtiers to shield the royal family from growing evidence that Anthony Blunt, later knighted as surveyor of the Queen's pictures, was a Soviet spy, hitherto secret diaries reveal. |
| Diaries of Guy Liddell, former deputy head of MI5, released on Friday, reflect the panic inside the Security Service as it faced the awful truth that a Cambridge spy ring existed at the heart of British intelligence. | Diaries of Guy Liddell, former deputy head of MI5, released on Friday, reflect the panic inside the Security Service as it faced the awful truth that a Cambridge spy ring existed at the heart of British intelligence. |
| In a desperate attempt at damage limitation, and deeply concerned about how the CIA as well as Buckingham Palace would react, MI5 chiefs tried to play down the significance of the clues pointing to what became known as the Ring of Five: Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Kim Philby, Blunt, and John Cairncross. | In a desperate attempt at damage limitation, and deeply concerned about how the CIA as well as Buckingham Palace would react, MI5 chiefs tried to play down the significance of the clues pointing to what became known as the Ring of Five: Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Kim Philby, Blunt, and John Cairncross. |
| After a tip-off, assumed to be from Philby, Burgess and Maclean fled Britain on 25 May 1951. As the net seemed to be closing in on Blunt, Liddell received a call on 13 July from George VI's private secretary, Tommy Lascelles. "I told Lascelles I was convinced that [Blunt] had never been a communist in the full political sense, even during his days at Cambridge," Liddell wrote in his diaries now released at the National Archives. | After a tip-off, assumed to be from Philby, Burgess and Maclean fled Britain on 25 May 1951. As the net seemed to be closing in on Blunt, Liddell received a call on 13 July from George VI's private secretary, Tommy Lascelles. "I told Lascelles I was convinced that [Blunt] had never been a communist in the full political sense, even during his days at Cambridge," Liddell wrote in his diaries now released at the National Archives. |
| "Tommy said that he was very glad to hear this, since it was quite possible that the story might get around to the royal family; he would then be able to say that he had already heard it and looked into it and was satisfied that there was nothing in it." | "Tommy said that he was very glad to hear this, since it was quite possible that the story might get around to the royal family; he would then be able to say that he had already heard it and looked into it and was satisfied that there was nothing in it." |
| The diary entry continues: "[Lascelles] told me that Blunt had on one occasion intimated to the Queen [the present Queen's mother] that he was an atheist … and that the Queen had been a little shaken by his remarks. He was certain that if he now went up and told her that Anthony was a Communist, her immediate reaction would be 'I always told you so'." | The diary entry continues: "[Lascelles] told me that Blunt had on one occasion intimated to the Queen [the present Queen's mother] that he was an atheist … and that the Queen had been a little shaken by his remarks. He was certain that if he now went up and told her that Anthony was a Communist, her immediate reaction would be 'I always told you so'." |
| Liddell's diaries betray an increasingly febrile atmosphere in Whitehall as the disappearance of Burgess and Maclean hit the headlines. Liddell noted that they had slipped their "Watchers", but neither MI5 nor MI6 knew where they had fled. On 12 June 1951, Liddell wrote that Lascelles asked to see him "as the King was asking for information". The diary entry continues: "I told him that there was really no more news than he had seen in the papers". Liddell assured the palace that "no mention was made of Anthony and his association with Burgess, which had been referred to by at least one paper". | Liddell's diaries betray an increasingly febrile atmosphere in Whitehall as the disappearance of Burgess and Maclean hit the headlines. Liddell noted that they had slipped their "Watchers", but neither MI5 nor MI6 knew where they had fled. On 12 June 1951, Liddell wrote that Lascelles asked to see him "as the King was asking for information". The diary entry continues: "I told him that there was really no more news than he had seen in the papers". Liddell assured the palace that "no mention was made of Anthony and his association with Burgess, which had been referred to by at least one paper". |
| While Liddell makes clear that while the looming crisis was causing mayhem inside MI5 and MI6, officials did their best to put on a calm face to the outside world. On 18 June 1951 Liddell wrote: "The DG [MI5's director general Sir Percy Sillitoe] seems to have been successful in keeping Hoover quiet" – a reference to J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI. | While Liddell makes clear that while the looming crisis was causing mayhem inside MI5 and MI6, officials did their best to put on a calm face to the outside world. On 18 June 1951 Liddell wrote: "The DG [MI5's director general Sir Percy Sillitoe] seems to have been successful in keeping Hoover quiet" – a reference to J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI. |
| The diaries show the extent to which Blunt dissembled, distancing himself from his friend Burgess and Maclean, and pretending to be "astonished" they had retained their communist sympathies. Liddell notes that on 3 June 1951 "Anthony telephoned about the press who were still persecuting him. I advised him not to speak to them, and if accosted outside to say that he knew nothing about the matter and had nothing to say". | The diaries show the extent to which Blunt dissembled, distancing himself from his friend Burgess and Maclean, and pretending to be "astonished" they had retained their communist sympathies. Liddell notes that on 3 June 1951 "Anthony telephoned about the press who were still persecuting him. I advised him not to speak to them, and if accosted outside to say that he knew nothing about the matter and had nothing to say". |
| Blunt was not confronted about his wartime spying for the Russians until 1964 when he confessed in return for immunity from prosecution after being identified in private by a Cambridge contemporary, Michael Straight. He was outed in the Commons by Margaret Thatcher in 1979. | Blunt was not confronted about his wartime spying for the Russians until 1964 when he confessed in return for immunity from prosecution after being identified in private by a Cambridge contemporary, Michael Straight. He was outed in the Commons by Margaret Thatcher in 1979. |
| The diaries show Philby, a friend of Burgess and Maclean, came under increasing suspicion but withstood interrogations. By the end of 1951, Liddell's diaries show, Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary, summoned Sillitoe expressing concern "that Philby might escape at any moment and that another scandal would ensue". Sillitoe calmed Eden down saying it was not likely. | The diaries show Philby, a friend of Burgess and Maclean, came under increasing suspicion but withstood interrogations. By the end of 1951, Liddell's diaries show, Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary, summoned Sillitoe expressing concern "that Philby might escape at any moment and that another scandal would ensue". Sillitoe calmed Eden down saying it was not likely. |
| Liddell recorded: "Eden seemed to think interrogation would lead to a prosecution. It was explained … that the chances of prosecution were extremely remote since all the evidence amounted was a chain of circumstances which pointed to Philby's guilt … Without a charge it was not really possible under the laws of this country to detain someone indefinitely upon a suspicion." | Liddell recorded: "Eden seemed to think interrogation would lead to a prosecution. It was explained … that the chances of prosecution were extremely remote since all the evidence amounted was a chain of circumstances which pointed to Philby's guilt … Without a charge it was not really possible under the laws of this country to detain someone indefinitely upon a suspicion." |
| As with Blunt, the difficulty of getting hard evidence was compounded by residual sympathy. Philby was dismissed from MI6 and appointed the Observer correspondent in Beirut where he went aboard a Soviet freighter in 1963 soon after being offered immunity from prosecution in return for a confession. | As with Blunt, the difficulty of getting hard evidence was compounded by residual sympathy. Philby was dismissed from MI6 and appointed the Observer correspondent in Beirut where he went aboard a Soviet freighter in 1963 soon after being offered immunity from prosecution in return for a confession. |
| Liddell was passed over for the post of head of MI5. His friendship with Blunt and Philby, and earlier with Burgess, had not done his career any good. | Liddell was passed over for the post of head of MI5. His friendship with Blunt and Philby, and earlier with Burgess, had not done his career any good. |
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