How Queen Elizabeth Reacted After Discovering a Soviet Spy at the Palace

Queen Elizabeth glares while wearing a green suit and matching hat — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II was a woman of many talents. In fact, according to a new report, the former monarch barely blinked when she learned that one of her courtiers was a Russian spy.

As reported by the BBC, "Art historian Anthony Blunt was for decades Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, overseeing the official Royal Art Collection, and in 1964 admitted he had been a Soviet agent since the 1930s." However, it was reportedly almost a decade before the monarch was given the vital information.

When the late Queen was finally informed about Blunt in the '70s, she "took it all very calmly and without surprise: she remembered that he had been under suspicion way back in the aftermath" of another case, according to declassified MI5 files in the National Archives.

The monarch was eventually told about Blunt's true identity when he became very ill following a cancer diagnosis. Per the BBC, officials were worried that details about Blunt's secret identity would be reported by the press before Elizabeth had even been informed of the news.

Sir Anthony Blunt shows Princess Margaret a piece of furniture in 1958 — Sir Anthony Blunt and Princess Margaret in 1958.

Blunt was such a respected royal courtier that he received a knighthood in 1956. However, once the general public learned of his past as a Soviet spy, he was stripped of the honor, Brittanica reported.

The art historian was part of a group of Soviet spies, referred to as the Cambridge Five, after they all met while studying at the university. According to declassified files, via the BBC, "Blunt feared that his KGB handler would turn violent when he refused to join his fellow spies," Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, who fled to the Soviet Union in 1951.

queen elizabeth in green — The Queen wasn't informed of Blunt's secret until almost a decade later.

Blunt finally confessed his secret in 1964 during an interview with MI5 interrogator Arthur Martin, who promised the art historian immunity from prosecution. Per the BBC, "As well as acknowledging his wartime work, he admitted to being in touch with the Russian Intelligence Service after the war."

While it's hard to believe such a huge secret could be kept from the Queen, it's clear that Elizabeth knew how to handle herself, even in the most stressful situations.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.