Prince Andrew branded a 'very unwise individual' over 'Chinese spy' scandal: 'He's been an idiot over many years'

Following the allegations of the royal's connection to H6, suggested to be a 'Chinese spy', the office of the Duke of York has since broken its silence with Andrew's first comments on the scandal.

The statement said: "The Duke of York followed advice from HMG and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.

"The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security."

Discussing the allegations on GB News, Tugendhat highlighted King Charles's careful management of Prince Andrew's position within the Royal Family.

"The King has been extremely careful in making sure that his position in the Royal Family is extremely limited," the Conservative MP told GB News.

He praised the monarch's approach, stating: "I think the King's played this extremely wisely. I think what he's done and the way in which he's protected himself and the country has been extremely sensible."

"He doesn't have access to any secrets, he doesn't have access to anything of any particular importance," Tugendhat added.

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In a particularly direct criticism, Tugendhat did not mince words about the Duke of York's past conduct.

"You don't need me to tell you that Prince Andrew's been an idiot over many years, that seems to be what we're seeing now," the Security Minister told GB News.

Tugendhat was equally forthright in his assessment of the Duke's judgment.

"You've got to assume that what he's doing is just deeply unwise. I've seen no proof of intelligence in any other way," he stated.

Tugendhat also addressed broader security measures taken to protect British interests.

"We spent an awful lot of effort and an awful lot of time making sure that individuals were identified," he told GB News.

"If they were not the sort of people we wanted here for various different reasons, we made sure that they didn't get in."

He concluded by emphasising the effectiveness of these security protocols: "And this is one of those moments where we were able to take the action that we needed to take."