Kerr denied being involved in the CIA and there is no evidence for it in his private writings. Former ASIO chief Sir Edward Woodward also dismissed the notion of CIA involvement. Justice Robert Hope, who had twice been royal commissioner investigating the Australian intelligence agencies said in 1998 that he had attempted to locate and interview a witness who had allegedly given in-camera evidence to the Church Committee about CIA involvement in the dismissal, but was unable to find either the witness or testimony. In 2015, Australian historian Peter Edwards dismissed the claim. Kerr's papers in the National Archives of Australia reveal that he discussed his reserve powers and the possibility that he would dismiss the Whitlam government with Prince Charles in September 1975. Kerr asked what would happen if he dismissed Whitlam and the prime minister retaliated by dismissing him. According to Kerr, Charles had responded: "But surely, Sir John, the Queen should not have to accept advice that you should be recalled at the very time when you were considering having to dismiss the government". Kerr writes in his journal that Prince Charles informed the Queen's Private Secretary, Sir Martin Charteris of this. Charteris then wrote to Kerr to say that should this "contingency" arise, "although the Queen would try to delay things, in the end she would have to take the Prime Minister's advice". Heseltine confirmed this account. Among the documents Hocking cites from Kerr's papers is a list prepared by Kerr of key points on the dismissal which includes his discussion with Prince Charles and "Charteris' advice to me on dismissal". A letter from the palace to Gordon Scholes on 17 November affirmed that the Queen was aware of the events in Canberra but would not intervene. Neither Whitlam nor Kerr suggested there had been any covert royal involvement. Since 2012, Whitlam's biographer Jenny Hocking has been attempting to release correspondence between Queen Elizabeth II and Kerr regarding the dismissal, held by the National Archives of Australia, which would indicate how much Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Family and British government knew about Kerr's plans. Hocking has alleged that the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Queen, through her private secretary Sir Martin Charteris, discussed the prospect of Whitlam's dismissal with Kerr. Paul Kelly has rejected Hocking's allegations, which he says would be "explosive" if they were proven. He wrote that the September 1975 conversation is not mentioned in Kerr's other memoirs, that it would have taken place before the crisis began, and that it would have only revealed Kerr's paranoia about being dismissed by Whitlam.