Abysses of the royals

Prince Andrew’s “confidant” is considered a spy

Prince Andrew is considered the black sheep of the family.(Bild: APA/AFP/JUSTIN TALLIS)

A confidant of Prince Andrew is not allowed to enter Great Britain because he is considered a Chinese spy. Buckingham Palace is visibly uncomfortable about this. But this is not the only scratch on its well-mannered image. A young member of the royal staff has now also been arrested for rioting.

Security politician Tom Tugendhat from the Conservative Party called the case "extremely embarrassing" on the BBC. Buckingham Palace refused to comment, pointing out that Andrew was not a "working royal" and was not acting on behalf of the royal family.

A court in London confirmed a government decision from 2023, in which the brother of King Charles III had appointed the businessman as his advisor and promised him connections to the royal family, as reported by the Times newspaper. The alleged spy had been authorized to look for investors in China on Andrew's behalf.

Buckingham Palace(Bild: Wieslaw - stock.adobe.com)

"H6", as the man is known, had lodged an appeal against the entry ban. This has now been rejected by an appeal committee. The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations. The People's Republic firmly rejects the use of "espionage" to denigrate China, it said. Beijing called on the "affected side" to stop political maneuvers against China.

Andrew is the black sheep of the royals
Andrew still has close ties to China from his time as the British government's trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. He is considered the black sheep of the royals due to his involvement in the abuse scandal surrounding US entrepreneur Jeffrey Epstein.

The alleged spy had gained "a considerable, one might even say unusual, degree of trust from a senior member of the royal family who was prepared to engage in business activities with him", Judge Charles Bourne emphasized in his ruling. The Duke of York had been under severe pressure because of his difficult private situation. "It is obvious that the pressure on the Duke could make him vulnerable to abuse of this kind of influence."

Buckingham staff member went on the rampage after Christmas party
Now some Buckingham Palace staff have also attracted attention after an internal Christmas party. A 24-year-old woman was arrested for rioting in a pub. It was not known what her job is at the palace. According to the Sun newspaper, she works as a housemaid.

"We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving several domestic staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the palace," the palace told the BBC. It was an "informal social gathering" and not an official Christmas party. Nevertheless, disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against the individual employees and "appropriate measures" would be taken.

According to the Sun, the arrested employee smashed several glasses and tried to attack a bar employee. Police said a 24-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday evening on suspicion of assault, criminal damage, drunkenness and disturbing the peace. "She was taken into custody and released the following evening with a notice to pay a fine for breach of the peace."