British security services have banned an alleged Chinese spy from entering the UK after discovering his close ties to Prince Andrew, including involvement in the prince’s financial ventures and attendance at royal social events, according to an investigation by The London Times.
MI5 identified the 50-year-old businessman as a member of China’s Communist Party working for its United Front Work Department intelligence gathering operation. The revelation emerged after border agents examined the individual’s phone during a 2021 entry attempt, uncovering correspondence that detailed his relationship with the prince’s inner circle.
Documents revealed that the suspect was authorized to seek Chinese partners and investors for Andrew’s Eurasia Fund project. A letter from the prince’s adviser, Dominic Hampshire, positioned the businessman at “the very top of a tree” of royal relationships, suggesting unprecedented access to the royal household.
Judge Charles Bourne, in upholding the entry ban, expressed concern over the “unusual degree of trust” granted to the individual by a senior royal family member. The judge noted that Andrew’s documented pressures could have made him vulnerable to manipulation.
The case has raised fresh questions about Andrew’s financial dealings, weeks after Buckingham Palace declared his funding sources legitimate. Internal documents discovered on the suspect’s phone characterized the prince as being in a “desperate situation and will grab onto anything,” suggesting potential exploitation of his circumstances.
The security breach follows earlier controversies surrounding Andrew’s associations, including his 2019 removal from royal duties following scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Royal historian Andrew Lownie has called for a comprehensive investigation into Andrew’s decade-long tenure as government trade representative, suggesting this incident may reveal broader security concerns.
