Government documents released Thursday reveal Queen Elizabeth II strongly supported the appointment of her son Andrew as UK trade envoy in 2001, describing her as "very keen" that he take on the role.

The confidential papers, made public by the UK government, show the Queen wanted Andrew to assume "a prominent role in the promotion of national interests," according to a letter from the head of Britain's trade body at the time.

Andrew served as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011, a taxpayer-funded position that involved promoting British business interests overseas. The role required him to travel extensively to various countries on official trade missions.

Government memos sent to UK trade staff worldwide acknowledged that Andrew's "high public profile" would necessitate "careful and sometimes strict media management," indicating officials were already aware of potential publicity challenges.

The document release comes months after lawmakers criticized Andrew for prioritizing his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over national interests. Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following controversy over his association with Epstein.

Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles and military affiliations in 2022, is now referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor rather than Prince Andrew.