Mere weeks after her father Prince Andrew was dragged into the centre of a Chinese spy scandal, Princess Eugenie’s involvement in the sage has been unveiled.
The 34-year-old reportedly flew to Tokyo in late 2024 as part of a business deal struck by her father, the embattled Duke of York, and alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
While the mother-of-two was there in a private capacity, her involvement prompts many questions over the knowledge she held over her father’s “close friendship” with Mr Tengbo.
The update comes a week and a half after Prince Andrew became the subject of a damning report that revealed he was previously viewed as a “valuable communication channel” by China,
In publicly released court documents reviewed by The Sunday Times in late January, the royals’ “covert and clandestine” relationship with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, 50, is discussed in detail.
Following a first meeting more than a decade ago in 2013 at a reception held during the Shanghai Grand Prix by the former head of McLaren, Yang became an alleged close confidant to Prince Andrew and even advised him on several business ventures.
He also played a key role in launching the Duke’s Pitch@Palace business initiative in China, successfully expanding the program into the Asian market.
It has since come to light that their reported friendship prompted concerns from MI5, and led to the questioning of a senior royal aide who worked closely with the Prince.
The report also detailed how China’s ambassador to London, Zheng Zeguang saw Yang as a means of using Andrew, and therefore the Royal Family to secure an estimated five billion AUD in international funding for a project that would counter restrictions on China’s access to both talent and technology.
In a statement released by Yang, he strongly denied any wrongdoing or espionage.
“I reiterate that the allegations against me are entirely unfounded, I have done nothing wrong.”
News of an improper relationship between Andrew and the man who the MI5 accused of being a “Chinese spy” first sent shockwaves around the world in mid-December.
At the time, Yang (who was not then named), was appealing to re-enter the U.K. after being banned by the then-home secretary in March 2023 on advice from MI5.
According to The Times, Prince Andrew had appointed the alleged “spy” in question as a “business advisor”, and promised him access to the highest levels of the royal family in what was described as a “serious breach of national security.”
The newspaper reported that British security services found the man to be a member of the Chinese Communist Party who was employed by its United Front Work Department – an intelligence gathering organisation.
British broadcaster the BBC also revealed that the man even received an invite to Andrew’s 60th birthday party in February 2020, and was told by the royal that he could act on his behalf to pursue financial opportunities in China.
Yang was also reportedly invited into the royal estate at Windsor according to The Times. It is unclear if he mingled or met with other members of the extended royal family.
Buckingham Palace has not issued any statement on the spy scandal, however, a friend of the palace revealed at the time that King Charles’ patience continues to “wear thin” in regards to his brother.
“He has stood by Andrew for many years, but everyone has their limits,” the insider shared with the Daily Beast.
Another source stressed how complicated it was for Andrew’s extended family amidst his ongoing misdoings.
“The palace has behaved the best it possibly can with a difficult relation. Every sanction that can be imposed has been, but you can’t divorce or sack your brother from being your brother,” they shared with The Mail on Sunday.
“There will always be a bond of blood, and all families often have difficult relatives to deal with.”
It has been a controversial few years for the Prince, who stepped back from his public duties in 2019 after his widely criticised interview with the BBC about his ties to disgraced financier and convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
New Idea notes that Prince Andrew has never been convicted of any crime, and has continued to deny any wrongdoing.
In a statement released at the time, the royal said he continued to “unequivocally regret” his “ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
