King Charles has reportedly been briefed by British security services over his brother Prince Andrew’s relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.
The Duke of York has said 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 ever discussed” between them.
The businessman, known only as H6, 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 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 paedophile 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.
In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the appeal challenge.
In their 53-page ruling, the judges said that Andrew could have been made “vulnerable” to the misuse of the influence H6 had.
They said: “The applicant won a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him.
“That occurred in a context where, as the contemporaneous documents record, the duke was under considerable pressure and could be expected to value the applicant’s loyal support.
“It is obvious that the pressures on the duke could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence.
“That does not mean that the Home Secretary could be expected to exclude from the UK any Chinese businessman who formed a commercial relationship with the duke or with any other member of the Royal Family.”
