UK's Prince Andrew Faces Scrutiny Over Ties With Suspected Chinese Spy As King Charles Plans Further Separation

Prince Andrew's links to a suspected Chinese spy have resurfaced, deepening his disgrace and tarnishing the royal family. Reports suggest that King Charles III cut off his brother's funding earlier this year and is considering relocating him.

File Photo of Prince Andrew

Source : www.royal.uk

Revelations that a suspected Chinese spy became a confidant of Prince Andrew have placed renewed scrutiny on the disgraced royal, further embarrassing the royal family. For the third consecutive day, the UK's newspapers have featured the 64-year-old prince, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, over his links to an unnamed Chinese businessman.

The latest scandal has added to the string of controversies surrounding Prince Andrew, whose reputation has already been severely tarnished by settling a US sexual assault case and his association with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew withdrew from frontline royal duties in late 2019 following public outrage over a disastrous television interview in which he denied the assault allegations and defended his connection with Epstein. Subsequently, Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his honorary military titles and patronages, effectively sidelining him from royal life after he settled the US civil claim without admitting liability.

The fresh scandal emerged on Thursday when judges upheld a government ban on the businessman, identified only as H6, from entering Britain. The tribunal revealed that an aide to the prince had informed the suspected spy that he could assist with potential dealings involving Chinese investors, news agency AFP reported. H6 was also invited to Prince Andrew's birthday party.

The judges expressed that the prince's troubled circumstances had left him "vulnerable" to exploitation, raising concerns about his role as a non-working royal.

King Charles III Planning To Relocate Prince Andrew After Cutting Brother's Funding: Reports

Reports suggest that King Charles III cut off his brother's funding earlier this year and is considering relocating him from his current residence to a smaller property.

The Guardian reported that King Charles is keen for Andrew to move to Frogmore Cottage which is described as a smaller, more modest house, already within the king’s security ring. The residence also been part of the royal family’s property portfolio since the 19th century. However, if Andrew refuses to move, he may be compelled to bear the cost of his own security, accommodation, and lifestyle.

Royal expert Craig Prescott, writing in the Sunday Times, noted that "money remains an issue for Andrew," and his "only obvious source of income is his Royal Navy pension."

The Sunday Times, citing unnamed sources, also reported that Prince Andrew, also known as the Duke of York, is contemplating moving to the Gulf permanently.

Prince Andrew's only public remarks came on Friday, when he said he had "followed advice" from the government and "ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised." According to AFP, his office added that "the duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed."

The story is expected to continue unfolding, amid growing concerns over China's apparent influence within the British establishment.

Ex-Tory Leader Urges Prince Andrew To Be 'Clear And Honest', Nigel Farage Suggests Exposing H6's Identity

The Sunday Times also reported that H6 had previously met former Conservative prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May. Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called for Prince Andrew to be "clear and honest" regarding H6 and urged a "full, proper investigation" by the security services.

Lawmaker Nigel Farage, citing parliamentary privilege, suggested his party might name the individual in the House of Commons, despite a court order protecting H6's identity.

This latest controversy marks a stark fall from grace for Prince Andrew, once hailed as a hero during his service as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot in the 1982 Falklands War. A former bachelor widely regarded as one of the most eligible men in the world, he earned the tabloid nickname "Randy Andy" before marrying Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Following their divorce in 1996, his behaviour came under scrutiny, particularly after he was photographed with topless women in Thailand and at a party with convicted socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was involved in child sex trafficking.

It was through Maxwell that Andrew was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, who accused the prince of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. Andrew has always denied the allegations.

A Sunday Times headline referred to the prince as "the worst kind of distraction" for King Charles III, while the Guardian suggested that his downfall "never seems to end."

According to the Guardian, Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge who served in the Cabinet as minister of state for security under the previous government, remarked on Friday that the episode was “extremely embarrassing”.

“The United Front Work Department, which is a branch of the Communist party, is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial, and various other ways,” he stated. “It demonstrates I’m afraid that the Chinese state is extremely clear that what its ambition is to secure influence over foreign countries.”

Tugendhat further opined that the British prince may not be entirely to blame for befriending someone who might have been a Chinese spook as his advisers may also be to blame. “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,” Guardian quoted him as saying.