Palace letters show Queen did not order 1975 removal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
(WorldNews Europe)

(CNN)Queen Elizabeth II was not forewarned of the 1975 removal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by then Governor-General John Kerr, according to classified papers released Tuesday, which reveal new details about the country`s biggest constitutional crisis. Letters between Kerr and Buckingham Palace were made public after a years-long court battle, but ultimately did not contain the smoking gun that some observers had expected -- that the Queen had directly ordered Whitlam`s removal. Kerr, who died in 1991, said he took the decision on his own, only later informing the Queen, because `it was better for (her) not to know.` `I decided to take the step I took without informing the...