Hounded out by ‘activists’: Queen Elizabeth II’s backing for disgraced Peter Hollingworth
Queen Elizabeth II penned a letter of sympathy to Peter Hollingworth after he resigned in disgrace as governor-general over his past handling of child sexual abuse as Anglican archbishop of Brisbane and lashed ‘activists’ and their ‘horrid media campaigning’.
Queen Elizabeth II penned a letter of sympathy to Peter Hollingworth after he resigned in disgrace as governor-general over his past handling of child sexual abuse as Anglican archbishop of Brisbane and lashed “activists” and their “horrid media campaigning” against the church.
It is one of several extraordinary letters from senior members of the royal family, including then-prince Charles, offering consolation to Dr Hollingworth, who has since been found guilty of serious misconduct by the Anglican Church.
The Australian can exclusively reveal that the queen wrote a rare handwritten letter to her former vice-regal representative from Windsor Castle two months after his resignation in July 2003, praising him for his achievements and inviting him to visit.
“Thank you for your letter as it was really me who should have been writing to you to thank you for striving under such difficulties during your term of office as governor-general,” Elizabeth wrote in a two-page letter. “The church here is equally going through a period of horrid media campaigning with a small group of activists and the bishops are left high and dry whatever they say.
“I do hope you will retire in the knowledge that your achievements are very important and that you became Australian of the Year – nobody can take that away!”
The letters were released to The Australian by the National Archives of Australia following a request for access. The letters had previously been kept by Dr Hollingworth. The letters, however, contain redactions made by the archives because it believes disclosure of certain sentences and paragraphs would be “unreasonable” as they relate to the “personal affairs” of those mentioned.
The Queensland Supreme Court had ruled that Dr Hollingworth’s former diocese failed in its duty of care towards a school student, and an Anglican Church inquiry found he had allowed a known pedophile to remain a serving priest.
In April 2023, an Anglican Church tribunal found Dr Hollingworth guilty of serious misconduct while archbishop of Brisbane. This finding led Archbishop Geoffrey Smith, head of the Anglican Church in Australia, to suggest Dr Hollingworth “resign his orders”.
A month before his mother’s letter, Charles wrote to Dr Hollingworth in June 2003 saying he was “dreadfully sorry” for what had happened, offered his deep commiserations and noting he was praying for him and his family. “Only recently I was talking to the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster who has, himself, suffered dreadfully from a similar kind of situation, and we were both commiserating deeply with what you have been through,” Charles wrote from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland.
“I pray to the Good Lord that, from now on, you and your family will be able to live in the kind of peace and tranquillity which has been so long denied to you.”
Prince Philip wrote to Dr Hollingworth from Buckingham Palace in July 2003, thanking him for his contribution as national president of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in Australia.
“I am sure you have been inundated with letters of sympathy, but I would very much like to add my own personal word,” he wrote. “Few people in this generation can have made such a significant contribution to their country than you have throughout your lifetime.”
The Australian has previously revealed vice-regal letters exchanged between Dr Hollingworth, the queen and her advisers, including his bitter and defiant letter of resignation in June 2003 where he blamed the media, voter “ignorance” about the Constitution and “activists”.
In May 2002, Dr Hollingworth wrote to the queen claiming to be the victim of an orchestrated “tall poppy” campaign. The queen’s private secretary had earlier written to the then governor-general offering “much sympathy” for his situation. Dr Hollingworth told Buckingham Place he would ultimately be “vindicated”.
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