Reports suggest that King Charles has been briefed by British security services over his brother Prince Andrew’s relationship with an alleged Chinese spy via Independent.
The Duke of York has stated that he “ceased all contact” with the businessman when concerns were first raised about him, with his office stating with that “nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed” between them. The businessman, known only as H6 has lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds, and was described as a “close confidante” of Andrew.
A royal source recently told The Mirror: “The King has been briefed about this situation regarding the suspected Chinese spy and is very aware of what has been and what is being done about it.”
It is the latest association of the Duke of York’s to cause controversy after his affiliation with convicted pe**phile Jeffrey Epstein led to him being removed from royal duties after conducting a disastrous interview with BBC Newsnight.
A statement from Andrew’s office said: “The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.
“The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.
“He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”
Judges heard H6 formed a close working relationship with Prince Andrew, receiving an invite to his birthday party in 2020 and being told he could act on his behalf. A letter referencing the birthday party from the adviser, Dominic Hampshire, was discovered on H6’s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021.
The letter also said: “I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family.
“You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship… Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.”
The businessman had brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023.
During a previous hearing in July 2023, officials had claimed that H6 was in a position to generate relationships between UK figures and Chinese officials that could be “leveraged for political interference purposes”.
They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, 64, represented a threat to national security.
