'Black spider' memos show Prince Charles lobbied Alex Salmond over a stately home, a castle and his own Highlands food brand

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New 'black spider' memos reveal Prince Charles lobbied Alex Salmond
He privately requested then First Minister to help decaying castle and more
Extracts, released under a Freedom of Information legislation, once again raise questions over the relationship between ministers and royal family
Comes after 27 'black spider' memos released by UK Government in May

Published: 10:49 EST, 30 August 2015 | Updated: 12:35 EST, 30 August 2015

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Prince Charles privately lobbied Alex Salmond when he was First Minister to help a decaying castle, stately home and his own Highlands food brand, previously secret 'black spider' memos reveal

Prince Charles privately lobbied Alex Salmond when he was First Minister to help a decaying castle, stately home and his own Highlands food brand, previously secret 'black spider' memos reveal.

In extracts from seven letters released by the Scottish Government under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, the heir to the throne also called for financial aid to the Soil Association in Scotland, of which he is patron, for an initiative promoting healthy food.

The former leader of the SNP replies, saying that he has asked his officials to investigate the possibility, signing off: 'I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Royal Highness’s most humble and obedient servant.'

The revelations are once again likely to raise questions over the relationship between ministers and the royal family, and the role of the monarchy in a modern democracy.

Anti-monarchy campaigners have accused Prince Charles of 'political meddling' following the disclosure, while Mr Salmond rejected claims that he is a Royalist 'sook'.

In response, Clarence House has said the Prince of Wales was raising issues of public interest about which he had also spoke about in public, in particular the preservation of historic buildings.

The 'black spider' memos, given that named because of Prince Charles' handwriting style, were released to the Sunday Herald in a move vehemently opposed by the future king.

Despite the disclosure, it was decided by the Scottish Government that an unspecified amount of other correspondence between him and Mr Salmond should remain confidential.

In May, 27 'black spider' memos were uncovered after being published by the UK Government following a decade-long legal battle.

It emerged then that Prince Charles sent a series of secret letters to former Prime Minister Tony Blair expressing his concern over the lack of resources for Armed Forces fighting in Iraq.

In one, the heir to the throne complained that British forces were 'being asked to do an extremely challenging job without the necessary resources'.

In a bid to air concerns on some of his other pet projects, Charles also sent a series of letters to Whitehall departments, including health and education, about issues as wide-ranging as herbal medicine, bovine TB - and the illegal fishing of the Patagonian toothfish.

The memos, which were sent to ministers between 2004 and 2005, which was during Tony Blair's spell as prime minister, raised questions over whether the future king had successfully lobbied to influence government policy.

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Ministers had long complained about Charles bombarding them with so-called ‘black spider’ handwritten memos, in which he expounded his views on his pet projects.

The government spent at least £375,000 on lawyers to fight the legal battle.

Meanwhile, in one of his missives to Mr Salmond, dated June 15, 2009, Prince Charles asked the former SNP leader to look into whether 'there could be some form of support to assist the Soil Association in having to cut back their capacity' for a healthy food initiative.

The then First Minister responded by saying that the association had already received £148,563 of Scottish Government funding but he promised to see what more could be done.

In extracts from letters released by the Scottish Government under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, the heir to the throne also lobbied Mr Salmond (right) for financial aid to the Soil Association in Scotland

Prior to that, on June 7, 2008, the Prince of Wales requested that Mr Salmond appoint experts to help his Highland food bran, Mey Selections, develop low carbon systems, it has been reported.

In another letter, Charles, who is known as The Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, expressed his 'heartfelt thanks' after the Scottish Government provided a £5million donation towards the purchase of Dumfries House in East Ayrshire.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: 'These letters released by the Scottish Government show The Duke of Rothesay expressing concern about issues that he has raised in public such as the preservation and regeneration of historic buildings and the benefits of sustainable food supply chains.

'In particular, the letters demonstrate the extent of His Royal Highness' efforts to save the Dumfries House estate for the nation, and his commitment to, and subsequent success in, using the estate as an engine for economic regeneration in the local area.

'In all these cases, The Duke of Rothesay is raising issues of public concern, and trying to find practical ways to address the issues.

'Nonetheless, the Prince of Wales believes that he should have a right to communicate privately. The publication of private letters can only inhibit his ability to express the concerns and suggestions which have been put to him in the course of his travels and meetings.'

HOW THE LEGAL BATTLE OVER THE 'BLACK SPIDER' LETTERS RAGED ON

An excerpt from one of the 'black spider' memos, given that named because of Prince Charles' handwriting style, which was published by the UK Government back in May

The secret 'black spider' letters were finally unveiled by the UK Government in May after a decade-long legal battle for the memos to be made public.

The legal tussle began in 2005, when Guardian journalist Rob Evans submitted a request for letters exchanged between Prince Charles and government ministers to be published under the newly-created Freedom of Information Act.

But when Whitehall refused the request, it sparked a ten-year battle which ended up being heard in front of 16 judges, from the lowest court in the country, to the highest court in the land.

Whitehall's refusal to publish the letters was initially upheld by the Information Commissioner in 2009.

But, in September 2012, the Government was ordered to disclose the missives after three judges ruled in favour of the journalist, who appealed the decision.

Following the victory, seven Whitehall departments were ordered to release the correspondence over a seven-month period.

But just one month later, the Attorney General Dominic Grieve used a veto under the act to stop the letters being published.

Undeterred, the Guardian newspaper appealed the decision. In July 2013, High Court judges upheld the AG's decision to block the public disclosure.

But in a dramatic twist in March last year, the Court of Appeal ruled that the ministerial veto had been unlawful.

The following month, the Supreme Court, UK's highest court refused to overturn the ruling, paving the way for the publication of Charles's letters - after nine years.

The letters were then published - on the proviso that some personal names and information were redacted - by the Cabinet Office.

As of March last year, more than a quarter of a million pounds (£274,481.16) had been spent by the Government on legal fees to try to block the publication of the letters.

The money was spent by eight government departments as former attorney general Dominic Grieve tried to block their publication, claiming it would undermine the principle of the heir to the throne being politically neutral.

The real cost is likely to be much higher due to ongoing legal wrangling over the letters since March 2014, when these figures were published.