THE KING was today dragged into the Prince Andrew Chinese spy scandal after bombshell legal documents were released by a court.
The Prince’s top adviser, Dominic Hampshire, revealed that he and the Duke of York had two cloak and dagger meetings with the King at which they discussed an investment fund linked to the alleged spy.
They were smuggled into for the meetings to discuss new roles for the Prince after his fall from grace over the affair.
One idea was a job with a Chinese investment fund called Eurasia which was working in the renewable energy sector in Africa.
But a junior partner in the fund was alleged spy Yang Tengbo, 50, formerly referred to as H6 in court papers, who was kicked out of Britain in 2023 after MI5 said he was a threat to national security.
In a rare move, the Palace almost immediately responded to the latest story.
A spokesman said last night: “While His Majesty met with The Duke and his adviser to hear outline proposals for independent funding over the past year, the individual known as H6 was not mentioned at any time or in any way as part of these discussions.”;
It’s also understood the neither the King or his advisers gave any kind of approval or support to the investment fund.
Mr Hampshire produced a 10-page witness statement to an tribunal backing Mr Tengbo’s appeal over the decision to exclude him from the UK.
He tried to block the release of his statement because it contained “embarrassing”; and “indiscreet”; information which he said was private and “commercially sensitive”;.
But the Special Immigration Appeals Commission today agreed for it to be released after an application by media companies.
He said in the 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.
“It is also of note that, amongst other topics, the Eurasia Fund and Aidan Heavey were discussed on both occasions with His Majesty. (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.)”;
Mr Heavey was the boss of an oil firm which owned 60 per cent of the Eurasia fund, which the Duke and others were hoping would make them large amounts of .
Alleged spy Mr Tengbo , a Chinese businessman, owned 30 per cent of it.
In his statement, Mr Hampshire, added that both he and , 64, “genuinely trusted”; the Chinese businessman and that there had “never been one single red flag”;.
The tribunal agreed that it was in the public interest to release the statement after Immigration appeal judge Mr Justice Bourne ruled the material “cannot possibly be said to be confidential”;, even if it was “embarrassing or indiscreet”; for Andrew.
Mr Hampshire said today: “I left the Royal household in 2022, and I now no longer provide advice – formally or informally – to the Duke of York.
“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.
“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.
“I am now a private businessman and none of my interests are connected to any member of the .”;
Mr Tengbo was kicked out of Britain after MI5 said he had engaged in “covert and deceptive activity”; on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Sources say that the African project idea, which failed to get off the ground and never traded, was not discussed in great detail with the King and he did not give his approval for Andrew to pursue it.
Mr Hampshire also said in his statement that Andrew’s reputation was “irrecoverable”; after his car crash BBC Newsnight interview.
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.”;
