The ageing prince, also known as the Duke of York, has become, quite literally, a constitutional waste of space.
The court heard that in February last year, a British-educated 50-year-old man, believed to be a Chinese spy, was taken off an inbound flight from Beijing under counter-terrorism laws and banned from entering the UK.
Correspondence downloaded from the phone of the alleged spy revealed that Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, Andrew, was a close confidant and prime target.
Upholding the exclusion order on the Chinese operative, the judges said “the Duke was under considerable pressure” at the time that their relationship of trust was built, and “it is obvious that the pressures on the Duke could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence”.
“He is in a ‘desperate’ situation and will grab on to anything”, the memo notes, while warning that it is not worth expending too much on the new asset: “Important: Manage expectations. Really important not to set ‘too high expectations’,”. The words “High Expectations” could be the title of an Andrew biography.
The former head of MI6, Sir Alex Younger, believes attempts at infiltration are “an intrinsic part of the way in which China seeks to protect its power”.
Prince Andrew has become a convenient distraction for the Royal Family
Read MoreIt is harder to tell what was in it for the Chinese. Commercially, Andrew has been a promoter of UK-Chinese investment in both directions. But according to officials delegated to assist him, he vastly overestimated his capabilities 20 years ago when Tony Blair made him an official trade envoy.
Operation Andrew seems to be mostly a mere demonstration of power, showing that they know how to locate the soft underbelly of the British establishment and how to manipulate it. This is satisfying for them whether in the shadows or in the full glare of publicity.
Andrew is a victim of his family circumstances but few will feel sorry for him. Through greed, vanity and indolence he has turned what could have been a role evoking sympathy and vestigial respect, akin to that occupied by the Princess Royal, into repeated public disgrace.
Adam Boulton presents Sunday Morning on Times Radio
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