Prince Andrew is ‘foolish, irresponsible, and naïve’ and now needs to do one thing only

Advisers at Buckingham Palace will be pulling their hair out at these latest revelations. Once again, ’s judgement is being called into question.

He has been thrown into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons at a time when his family, and the country, just wish he would live his life quietly with no further controversies or scandals.

However, this is not just about potentially damaging the reputation of the Royal Family; this has massive implications for national security.

It was exposed in 2022 how the Chinese attempted to infiltrate Parliament when alleged spy Christine Ching Kui Lee established links for the Chinese Communist Party by giving donations to high profile MPs.

This was uncovered by MI5 who then issued a rare warning to all MPs and Peers about this individual and any financial donations she might make through a third party.

In October this year, two men accused of spying for China appeared at the Old Bailey and pleaded not guilty to charges under the Official Secrets Act. One of the men, Christopher Cash, reportedly had worked as a parliamentary aide to two Conservative MPs.

There have long been concerns about China’s wish to get to the heart of the establishment in this country with veteran Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith frequently voicing his fears. His previous critical comments have seen him banned from China and Hong Kong.

You would think all of this would ring alarm bells in the ears of , but it appears not.

Thanks again to our magnificent MI5, we learn that the Prince’s latest business adviser is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was working for its United Front Work Department, which gathers intelligence.

The alleged Chinese spy apparently had a briefing document found on one of his electronic devices when he was stopped by UK border security in November 2021 which said Andrew – in the words of one senior adviser to the Prince – “is in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything”.

I think we can add the words foolish, irresponsible, and naïve to the ever-growing list of words we might use to describe this particular Prince, alongside desperate.

Last month, Sir met Chinese President at the G20 summit. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of a “strong UK-China relationship” for both countries.

He should now urgently consider what this relationship looks like following this latest security breach at the heart of our nation.