King Charles dragged into Prince Andrew's 'Chinese spy' scandal

4 April 2025, 18:53 | Updated: 4 April 2025, 21:27

King Charles met with Prince Andrew twice to discuss his future and a business linked to a Chinese man accused of being a spy, a former royal aide has said.

Dominic Hampshire, who used to work for Andrew, said that it was clear that Prince Andrew's reputation was "irrecoverable" following a disastrous interview in 2019 - and they would have to look for other opportunities for him, unrelated to the royal family.

He was speaking at a tribunal brought by Yang Tengbo, who was excluded from the UK on national security grounds by then home secretary Suella Braverman in March 2023. Mr Yang has previously said he had "done nothing wrong or unlawful".

Mr Yang set up a fund - the Eurasia Fund - which was designed to raise £2 billion, which he discussed with Andrew.

Mr Hampshire told the tribunal in a statement: “I have had two meetings with The Duke and His Majesty to discuss what The Duke can do moving forwards in a way that is acceptable to His Majesty.”

He added: "For both these meetings with His Majesty, despite less media interest in The Duke, we took all precautions to get in and out of Windsor Castle without being seen.”

Buckingham Palace said that while the King met with Andrew and his adviser to discuss proposals for independent funding, Mr Yang was "not mentioned at any time or in any way".

Mr Yang - also known as Chris Yang - unsuccessfully challenged the decision to exclude him from the UK at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) last year, with judges finding the businessman was a "close confidant" of Andrew and had "won a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust" from the duke.

Documents in the legal challenge, including the witness statement of Andrew's former senior adviser Mr Hampshire, were made public on Friday following a request from several media organisations.

Read more: 'Spy' was a 'founding member' Prince Andrew's Chinese money-making venture

In Mr Hampshire's ten-page statement, he told the tribunal about the aftermath of Andrew's 2019 interview over his relationship with late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

He said: "After the Newsnight interview and in the following few months, it was clear that the duke's reputation was irrecoverable.

"This was a common feeling within the royal household, despite what the duke thought may happen.

"It was very clear internally within the royal household that we would have to look at options for the duke's future away from royal duties."

Also in the statement, Mr Hampshire said that he liked and trusted Mr Yang, adding: "In the five or so years I have known him, there has never been one single red flag in my head."

Mr Hampshire said the duke's Pitch@Palace initiative, set up to support entrepreneurs, was one of Andrew's "indisputable successes", and that hopes were placed on it continuing internationally.

Mr Yang was the founder-partner of Pitch@Palace China, and Mr Hampshire said he had not deserted the duke while UK sponsors and supporters of Andrew's initiative were "falling away" after the interview.

The former adviser, who told the tribunal he had spent ten years in the British army, including as an intelligence officer in Belfast, later said that a degree of confidentiality was required due to the amount of leaks in the royal household.

He said: "Every time the duke does anything, the media attempts to destroy or at very least, malign him, often via individuals who leak documents or intel to the press.

"To progress in anything we do, everything has to be confidential where at all possible, not just with the Chinese."

The tribunal was previously told that in a briefing for the Home Secretary in July 2023, officials claimed Mr Yang 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 that the businessman had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, represented a threat to national security.

In his written evidence, Mr Hampshire said that Mr Yang "categorically does not have a close relationship with the duke".

He continued: "Anyone who understands how a member of the British royal family is looked after/advised would immediately know this.

"Chris, of course, doesn't have the duke's telephone number or his email address and does not have the ability to talk directly to the duke on his own - ever.

"This is normal practice and Chris's relationship with the duke is the same as numerous others - this is my role - to protect him."

In a statement as the documents were made public on Friday, Mr Hampshire said he left the royal household in 2022 and no longer provides advice to Andrew.

He also said that Andrew "fully complied" with advice to end all contact with Mr Yang.

He said: "The desire to keep my witness statement out of the media was solely to protect the confidential interactions I had with Buckingham Palace and the intelligence services.

"The Palace was kept informed of all my commercial endeavours on behalf of The Duke of York, and full disclosure of all communications with Mr Yang, the Hampton Group and China was offered to both Buckingham Palace and the intelligence services.

"At all times I sought to protect the best interests of the Royal Family with integrity and loyalty.

"For the record, as soon as The Duke of York was advised to cease all contact with Mr Yang, he fully complied.

"He did not receive a penny in funding or support, directly or indirectly, from any Chinese individual or entity.

"In my personal business capacity, I continued dealings with the Hampton Group in China - which is not sanctioned - and, in accordance with current UK policy, doing business in China and with Chinese individuals is entirely legitimate.

"I am now a private businessman and none of my business interests are connected to any member of the Royal Family."

The specialist tribunal previously heard Mr Hampshire was in contact with the intelligence services about Mr Yang - known as H6 during his legal battle - in 2022 before the decision to exclude him had been made.

Mr Hampshire said he was not warned of the possibility of his previous evidence being made public, stating he "would never have agreed to submit a witness statement" had he known.

In a ruling in March, three judges said the statement could be disclosed, finding it was "drafted explicitly to be used in support of representations" by Mr Yang.

Mr Yang has previously said he intends to appeal against the decision upholding his ban from entering the UK.