Prince Andrew has reportedly cut ties with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy.
Andrew, 64, said in a statement to the BBC on Saturday, December 14, that he “ceased all contact” with the individual. The Duke of York’s office further claimed that Andrew met the man “through official channels” and “nothing of a sensitive nature [was] ever discussed.”
The alleged spy, referred to as H6, was previously banned from the U.K. after security court proceedings in 2023. According to the BBC, judges were told that H6 allegedly tried to leverage Andrew’s influence and was also invited to the duke’s birthday party in 2020.
H6 tried to appeal the ban later that year, but the court has upheld its ruling. Andrew’s statement added that he was “unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”
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The Chinese embassy in the U.K., meanwhile, denied the espionage claim, with a spokesperson telling the BBC, “Some individuals in the U.K. are always eager to fabricate baseless ‘spy’ stories targeting China.”
The rep added, “Their purpose is to smear China and disrupt normal exchanges between Chinese and British personnel.”
England’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has also spoken out regarding the accusations, telling reporters that “security and intelligence agencies are continually vigilant for any threat to U.K. national security.”
“Whether that be around foreign influence, whether it be around espionage, whether it be around any security threat,” Cooper said. “We won’t hesitate to take action in individual cases or more widely wherever any challenge arises.”
Buckingham Palace declined to issue a comment to the outlet, citing that Andrew is a non-working royal. He had been stripped of his “His Royal Highness” title and took a step back from his official duties and patronages in 2020 after being sued for misconduct.
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In 2019, Virginia Guiffre claimed that Andrew raped and sexually abused her when she was 17 years old. He denied the allegations.
“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” Andrew said in a November 2019 interview with the BBC. “It just never happened.”
Andrew and Guiffre ultimately settled her lawsuit out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Since the scandal, Andrew has taken a step back from public engagements. It has also been reported that his brother King Charles III financially cut him off.
“It’s been a hard few months for Andrew,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly last month, adding his “anxiety is through the roof.”
