Prince Andrew was allegedly at the centre of a secret MI6 file after agents became concerned about his friendships. The dossier, which reportedly began in the late 1990s, covers the time when the Duke of York – who is at the centre of a Chinese spy scandal – grew close to alleged Beijing operative, Yang Tengbo.
FBI agents in America probing Andrew’s friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are said to have discovered the disgraced financier was known to MI6. They were keen to understand the relationship between the two men so approached the British government for information, only to be stonewalled.
Sources have told the Mirror that Epstein’s file contained many references to Andrew, which US agents hoped would help them in their investigation. Under strict diplomatic protocols, members of the Royal Family cannot be the subject of their own MI6 dossiers, but their acquaintances can.
The matter is further complicated by the fact that people cannot be considered solely because of their friendship or connections to the royals. But when individuals attract the attention of the intelligence services, such as Yang, all their relationships – including those with the Windsors – are included in official files.
A source said: “The Queen had a well-known and close relationship with the intelligence services. As monarch, she, and now King Charles, were and are privy to classified briefings. “It is ironic to think her son was then mentioned in MI6 cables of national security because of the friends he kept.”.
