Newly declassified documents from Britain's National Archives shed light on the double life of royal art historian Anthony Blunt, who served as a Soviet spy while working at Buckingham Palace as Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures. Blunt confessed in 1964 to passing secret information to Soviet agents during World War II, a revelation that was kept from Queen Elizabeth II to spare her worries.
Despite suspicions surrounding Blunt for years, he was allowed to retain his job, knighthood, and social standing in exchange for the information he provided. The queen was only informed of Blunt's espionage activities in 1973, with her private secretary noting her calm reaction and prior knowledge of his earlier suspicions in the 1950s.
Blunt was publicly exposed as a spy by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979, leading to the revocation of his knighthood. However, he was never prosecuted and passed away in 1983 at the age of 75.
The declassified files also reveal the activities of other Cambridge spies, including Kim Philby, who continued to work for MI6 despite suspicions of espionage. Philby's confession detailed his betrayal of a KGB officer who attempted to defect to the West in 1945, resulting in the officer's abduction and execution in Moscow.
Philby, faced with exposure, chose to flee to Moscow in 1963, where he lived until his death in 1988. His confession expressed conflicted loyalties between MI6 and the Soviet Union, highlighting the complex motivations behind his actions.
The stories of the Cambridge spies have inspired various forms of media, including books, plays, movies, and TV shows. Their espionage activities continue to captivate audiences, with recent portrayals in popular series such as 'A Spy Among Friends' and 'The Crown.'
