Prince Andrew's Business Advisor Accused of Being a "Spy" and Banned From the U.K.

Following a fairly public feud with King Charles regarding Royal Lodge in Windsor, Prince Andrew has found himself dealing with yet more potential controversy. According to multiple reports, an advisor to Prince Andrew has been banned from the U.K. amid allegations he's a "spy."

As reported by the BBC, a man referred to in documents as "H6" has lost an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission regarding his right to enter the United Kingdom. "Judges were told the businessman was attempting to leverage Prince Andrew's influence," the BBC reported, noting that the "alleged Chinese spy" had an "unusual degree of trust" with the Duke of York.

In a published ruling on the decision, a judge noted that "H6" "represented a risk to the national security of the United Kingdom, and ... his exclusion was justified and proportionate."

"H6" reportedly became known to British border police and MI6 in November 2021, when it was discovered that he had troubling correspondence on his electronic devices, per the BBC.

Correspondence to "H6" from another of Prince Andrew's advisors, Dominic Hampshire, said (via the BBC), "Outside of [the Prince's] closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on." He continued, "Under your guidance, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor."

The judge's ruling, which upheld the original March 2023 decision to ban "H6" from the U.K., said that the advisor had an "unusual degree of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him." The judge also suggested that "H6" may have been attempting to take advantage of Prince Andrew, who was "under considerable pressure" at the time, which "could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence."

The Chinese embassy in the U.K. responded to the claims, calling them "baseless 'spy' stories targeting China." They continued, "Their purpose is to smear China and disrupt normal exchanges between Chinese and British personnel."