Prince Philip’s objection to air base triggered diplomatic row

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH was warned by Japan over his meddling in “politically sensitive” matters when he intervened to stop a new air force base on a remote island, diplomatic papers have disclosed.

The Duke triggered a three-way diplomatic incident in the Eighties by writing to the Japanese prime minister objecting to a plan to construct an airfield for the United States military on a protected island south of Tokyo on environmental grounds. The base was later cancelled due to public outrage.

Diplomatic papers released from the National Archives in London disclose exasperation in Tokyo and Washington at the Duke involving himself in a political issue that was key to maintaining Japan’s security alliance with the US.

Japan’s foreign ministry wrote to the British Embassy to express the prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone’s “concern about His Royal Highness’s involvement in a matter which is politically controversial and sensitive in Japan”.

But the US government was similarly unhappy at the Duke’s interference, with the US state department contacting the British embassy in Tokyo to say his comments had “revived the problem” and could cause a “major obstacle”.

The Duke, who was president of World Wildlife Fund International at the time, wrote to Mr Nakasone in 1986 to request he reconsider the building of the airfield on Miyake Island for the US navy to carry out training.

The Japanese government was embarrassed, however, when the Duke’s letter was leaked to local media.

The British Embassy responded that the Duke’s letter was sent in a personal capacity and did not reflect the position of the British government.

It is not clear whether the Duke continued the correspondence over the airfield, although he did get his own way in the end. Opposition was so strong that the plan was later dropped and the landing exercises were moved to uninhabited Iwo Jima island.