The Duke of York and his former adviser made two discreet visits to Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles III to discuss a controversial investment project linked to a man later barred from the UK on national security grounds, tribunal documents have revealed.
According to witness statements released on Friday by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), Andrew and his ex-senior adviser, Dominic Hampshire, held private meetings with the King in the past year, during which the so-called Eurasia Fund – a proposal connected to Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo – was discussed.
Yang, also known as Chris Yang, was excluded from the UK in March 2023. Authorities argued that he posed a national security risk due to his alleged ability to build relationships between high-profile British figures and senior Chinese officials, potentially enabling political interference. Mr Yang has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains he has acted lawfully throughout.
The tribunal documents, which include a 10-page statement from Mr Hampshire dated May 2024, indicate that the meetings at Windsor were arranged to be conducted “without being seen”, with the goal of exploring possible funding avenues for Prince Andrew’s future outside royal duties.
Mr Hampshire wrote: “For both these meetings with His Majesty, despite less media interest in the duke, we took all precautions to get in and out of Windsor Castle without being seen.”
Despite these revelations, Buckingham Palace was quick to clarify that Mr Yang was not discussed during these conversations. In a statement, a Palace spokesperson said: “While His Majesty met with the Duke and his adviser to hear outline proposals for independent funding over the past year, the individual known as H6 (Yang) was not mentioned at any time or in any way as part of these discussions.”
Palace officials also indicated that the witness account does not align with their own records and confirmed that the King never approved or formally discussed the Eurasia Fund in detail.
The Eurasia Fund was reportedly pitched by Yang as a way to transition Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace entrepreneurship initiative into a commercial investment vehicle. Yang was the founding partner of Pitch@Palace China and remained one of the few individuals to support the Duke publicly after his reputation was tarnished following his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview regarding his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Hampshire’s testimony noted that Yang helped him draft letters about the fund addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping and was authorised to hold discussions with relevant individuals in China. However, Mr Hampshire later clarified that Yang “categorically does not have a close relationship with the duke” and had no direct access to him.
“Chris, of course, doesn’t have the duke’s telephone number or his email address and does not have the ability to talk directly to the duke on his own – ever,” he stated, adding that this arrangement was standard protocol for royal advisers.
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Mr Hampshire, a former intelligence officer who spent a decade in the British Army, also expressed concern over media leaks from within the royal household, arguing that confidentiality was essential for protecting Prince Andrew’s interests.
“Every time the duke does anything, the media attempts to destroy or malign him, often via individuals who leak documents or intel to the press,” he said.
He confirmed that he left his role in the Royal Household in 2022 and now operates as a private businessman, independent of any royal connections. “The Palace was kept informed of all my commercial endeavours on behalf of the Duke of York,” he added, emphasising that no Chinese individuals or entities had provided financial support to Andrew.
The SIAC ruling in March allowed the witness statement to be released, concluding it had been “explicitly drafted to be used in support of representations” by Mr Yang, who has since indicated he will appeal the decision that upheld his exclusion from the UK.
