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The National Archives of the United Kingdom has released new declassified MI5 documents that shed light on the activities of the Cambridge Five, a group of British agents who worked for the USSR. One of the most striking details is that Queen Elizabeth II was not informed for nine years about the confession of her art historian Anthony Blunt to espionage.
Anthony Blunt, who served as curator of the Royal Collection of Art from 1945 to 1972, admitted in 1964 that he had been working with Soviet intelligence since the 1930s. However, the Queen was only officially informed of this in 1973, after a threat of information leakage to journalists. Documents show that the Queen reacted to the news “calmly and without surprise”.
“Cambridge Five: new details
“The Cambridge Five were senior British intelligence and diplomatic officials recruited in the 1930s by Soviet agent Arnold Deutsch. They included Anthony Blunt, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Kim Philby and John Cairncross.
Burgess and McLean fled to the USSR in 1951, after which suspicion fell on the other members of the group. Philby also fled to the USSR in 1963, confessing to espionage. Blunt and Cairncross confessed to their actions in 1964, but were granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for their cooperation.
Blunt’s secret: why MI5 was silent
MI5 documents show that after Blunt’s confession, they believed that he was hiding important information, but decided not to prosecute him. In 1972, the Secretary of State stated that “information about Blunt’s treason would only upset the Queen”, so it was decided to hide it.
In 1979, the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher officially informed the Parliament about the activities of the Cambridge Five. This statement caused a public outcry and stripped Blunt of his knighthood.
Implications for history
The publication of these documents was part of the preparation for an exhibition in London dedicated to Soviet spies in Britain. They reveal new details of the Cambridge Five’s activities and the attitude of the British intelligence services to Soviet espionage during the Cold War.
The story of Anthony Blunt and the other members of the group is a reminder of the complexity of intelligence work in the twentieth century and how secrets can remain hidden even from the highest officials.
