A new scandal involving funding from Chinese donors through links to a Chinese Communist Party spy has put Prince Andrew, who has been targeted by MI5,
at the centre of a new scandal.

According to the Telegraph, the money was given for the Duke of York’s business activities. However, he said he “severed all contact” with the Chinese spy businessman once concerns arose.

“No issue of a sensitive nature was ever discussed”

Prince Andrew, according to a statement from his office, had met with the alleged spy “through official channels” and “nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed”. However, it is not specified when she stopped communicating with him and what the duration of their contact was.

Already, the alleged spy has been banned from entering the United Kingdom, following a ruling by the country’s semi-secret national security court. The ban was appealed in 2023, but the decision was upheld.

The man, known only as H6, was described in court as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew, with whom he had an “unusual degree of trust”. The businessman, it was alleged in court, sought to exploit the influence of the prince by whom he had been invited to Buckingham twice and attended events at Windsor Castle and St James’s Palace.

The Prince Andrew of Buckingham declined to comment, claiming that Prince Andrew is not a serving member of the royal family and is not acting on their behalf.

China denies allegations of espionage

The embassy of China in London denied the spying allegation, saying that “certain individuals in the UK are always keen to fabricate unsubstantiated ‘spying’ stories targeting” Beijing, adding that they seek to disrupt exchanges between Chinese and British personnel and slander the country.

H6 was invited to Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020. According to court testimony, he was told he could act on his behalf when dealing with potential investors in China. The alleged spy allegedly had links to the United Front of Workers of China, UFWD,a Communist Party organization involved in exerting political influence abroad. The use of its links with prominent figures in the UK was seen as a potential threat to national security.

It is unclear how H6 came to be close to the prince, but in November 2021 police officers stopped and questioned him at the UK border under powers to investigate suspected “hostile activity” by a foreign state. During this stop, H6 handed over electronic devices, including a mobile phone.

The disturbing evidence caused consternation in the MI5 security service, leading the then Home Secretary to use her extraordinary powers to ban H6 from leaving the country.

What Prince Andrew’s adviser’s letter shows

In a letter found on one of his devices, H6 was told by Dominic Hampshire, an adviser to Prince Andrew, that he was one of the prince’s “closest internal confidants”. “Under your guidance, we have found a way to get the relevant people in and out of the house in Windsor undetected,” he added, without giving further details.

Hampshire also confirmed to H6 that he could act on Prince Andrew’s behalf in talks “with potential partners and investors in China”. Another document lists “key talking points” for a call with Prince Andrew, who is “in a desperate situation and will grab anything”.

The court assessed that this meant that H6 was able “to establish relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures which could be exploited for purposes of political interference by the Chinese state.”

According to the judges, H6 had gained “an unusual degree of trust from a senior member of the royal family who was prepared to enter into business with him”. Indeed, the relationship had developed at a time when the Prince of York was under “considerable pressure” which “could make him vulnerable to abuse of this kind of influence.”

Prince Andrew had faced scrutiny because of his relationship with suicidal pedophile Geoffrey Epstein. In November 2019, he stepped down from his royal duties and questions have since been raised about some issues involving him.

Meanwhile, the profits of the Prince’s Pitch@Palace initiative, which started in 2014 in the UK as a non-profit but expanded to China in 2016, where it operated on a for-profit basis, are being scrutinised.

Profits from the Chinese operation are being scrutinised by security authorities as they are allegedly linked to funding from Chinese donors with links to the Communist Party of China.

Luxury lifestyle investigation

The investigations also look at how Prince Andrew maintains his luxurious lifestyle, including the upkeep of the Royal Lodge, a 30-room residence in Windsor.

King Charles was informed of the investigation before it was made public. In 2023, the king cut off all private funding to Prince Andrew, presumably because he took note of the concerns.