‘Following the death of the Queen Mother and the events of the Golden Jubilee the time is right for all official records concerning the Abdication should be opened up to the public.'

Mr Brennan has already secured a review of the continued secrecy over the Abdication. In a written question this week, the Lord Chancellor's Department (the government Department which deals with the disclosure of official information) signaled its intention to re-review the regulations covering official documents relating to the Abdication. He has also asked for details of which Cabinet and other official papers from the period have not yet been released into the public domain despite the usual 30-year rule. It is thought that papers may have been withheld to protect the Queen Mother from adverse comment.

‘Edward VIII surrendered his crown over sixty-five years ago', said Mr Brennan, ‘and it is about time that the public had the right to know exactly what happened during the abdication crisis. The release of the abdication documents will also be extremely helpful to historians, who at present are hamstrung by the incomplete nature of available official records.

‘I understand that certain records have not been made public as a mark of respect to the Queen Mother. Now that she has passed away, however, these official papers should be released immediately, as there is no longer any justification for them to sit locked away in the Public Record Office.'