The businessman accused of being a Chinese spy was invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince Andrew, it has been claimed.
Prince Andrew ‘invited’ the Chinese spy to royal palaces, it has been reported (Image: GETTY)
Prince Andrew allegedly “invited” a Chinese “spy” into Buckingham Palace as well as St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle, it has been claimed.
The Times has reported that the man – who was banned from Britain by the Government on national security grounds – visited Buckingham Palace twice after receiving an invitation from the Duke of York. He also entered the grounds at St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle.
Andrew, 64, said that he “ceased all contact” with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised.
A statement from the Duke of York’s office stated: “The Duke of York followed advice from HMG (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.”
The businessman – who is only known as H6 – brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). This took place after the then-home secretary Suella Braverman stated that he should be excluded from the UK in early 2023.
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The businessman had been unsuccessful in his appeal against a UK entry ban on national security grounds.
The King has been reportedly briefed about his brother’s links to the alleged spy.
Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed the man had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials “that could be leveraged for political interference purposes”.
They also said H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew represented a threat to national security.
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At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard the businessman was told by an adviser to Andrew that he could act on the duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrew’s birthday party in 2020.
A former UK security minister has labelled the reports of Prince Andrew’s close ties with a man accused of being a Chinese spy as “extremely embarrassing”.
When questioned whether the Duke of York’s advisers should have known about H6, Tory MP and former security minister Tom Tugendhat remarked: “It’s not immediately obvious, it could be someone who’s British who’s working in China and who’s come under the influence, so it’s not quite as black and white as it may first appear – but it’s certainly extremely embarrassing.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.