Prince Andrew is dealing with mounting scrutiny within the face of allegations that his “Pitch@Palace” enterprise ventures obtained funds from Chinese language donors linked to an accused Communist Occasion spy – with MI5 now reportedly probing the claims.

The alleged undercover agent, often called H6, has been banned from the UK on nationwide safety grounds and is described in court docket paperwork as a “shut confidant” of the Duke of York.

A former junior civil servant in China, H6 is accused of working for the United Entrance Work Division (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese language state that gathers intelligence, recruits brokers, and buys affect overseas.

Whitehall insiders declare the UFWD has used monetary inducements to construct connections within the West, with one supply calling its actions as “misleading” and “far more than simply gathering delicate info”.

MI5, Britain’s safety service, is investigating cash reportedly linked to H6 and obtained by the Duke’s enterprise ventures, the Telegraph has claimed.

Buckingham Palace, which has no authority to supervise the Duke’s funds, is simply in a position to search assurances that funds are “legitimately earned”.

In keeping with the Each day Telegraph, H6 performed a task in Pitch@Palace, which Andrew launched within the UK in 2014 as a not-for-profit enterprise.

The initiative expanded to China in 2016, the place it operated for revenue. H6 was allegedly linked to the Chinese language operations, attending occasions at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, and Windsor Fortress.

Court docket paperwork recommend H6 was so trusted he may act on Andrew’s behalf with potential Chinese language buyers and even attended the Duke’s birthday celebration in 2020.

Royal sources claimed King Charles informed of MI5’s investigation into H6 earlier than court docket rulings uncovered the connection. The most recent scandal is assumed to have influenced the King’s earlier resolution to chop off Andrew’s monetary assist. A palace supply has confirmed Prince Andrew is “not privately supported by the King”, the Telegraph reviews.

The Duke denies wrongdoing, insisting he severed all ties with H6 after authorities recommendation. An announcement issued by his workplace final evening mentioned: “The Duke of York adopted recommendation from HMG [Her Majesty’s Government] and ceased all contact with the person after issues have been raised. The Duke met the person by way of official channels, with nothing of a delicate nature ever mentioned.”

The case highlights longstanding issues over the Duke’s funds, significantly the excessive prices of sustaining Royal Lodge and paying for personal safety, estimated to run into thousands and thousands of kilos yearly. Andrew’s monetary preparations have confronted intense scrutiny, together with previous hyperlinks to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted intercourse offender who died in jail in 2019.

H6, who denies being a spy or agent of the Chinese language Communist Occasion, was banned from the UK in July 2023 after MI5 concluded he had engaged in “covert and misleading exercise” on behalf of Beijing.

Two judges from the Particular Immigration Appeals Fee (SIAC) dominated on Thursday that the House Workplace was justified in barring him from the nation.

H6 is contesting the choice and has been granted non permanent anonymity whereas the Excessive Court docket considers whether or not his identification must be made public.

Senior politicians, together with Suella Braverman, the previous House Secretary, have known as for H6 to be named. Suella Braverman mentioned: “Disclosing the identification of this particular person could have a deterrent impact on others participating in comparable actions and guarantee transparency on this challenge of utmost nationwide safety significance.”

Tom Tugendhat, the previous safety minister, described Andrew’s involvement with H6 as “extraordinarily embarrassing” and proof of how China seeks to affect the UK. He mentioned: “The United Entrance Work Division is a department of the Communist Occasion looking for affect throughout the UK – social, educational, monetary, and industrial.”

In the meantime, the Chinese language embassy in London dismissed the allegations as baseless, accusing the UK of fabricating spy tales to smear China.

A spokesman mentioned: “This once more is a typical case of the thief crying ‘catch thief.’ Their objective is to smear China and sabotage regular exchanges between China and the UK. We strongly condemn this.”

Critics argue the scandal underscores broader dangers of international affect campaigns concentrating on British establishments and highlights the necessity for larger transparency across the funds of senior royals.

Categorical.co.uk has contacted Buckingham Palace for remark.