The court ruled that Prince Andrew had always had a way of communicating with the Chinese leader and sent him birthday greetings.
Andrew's former senior adviser, Dominic Hampshire, said the royal family, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, were fully aware of Andrew's interactions with President Xi Jinping and may even have supported it.
His evidence was published in the press on Friday after it was used in a Special Immigration Appeals Commission case involving Young Tanbaugh, whom Mr Hampshire referred to as Chris.
Mr Hampshire said: “The Duke has always had a way of communicating with the President, largely to promote the success of Pitch@Palace in China, and that has never been hidden.
“Because it was part of my job, I helped write these letters with people, in this case Chris, who understood how to communicate messages across cultural lines. I never had any concerns about the content.”
Mr Hampshire said Andrew sent Xi Jinping a birthday letter every year.
He continued: “The Royal Family, including the late Queen, were fully aware of this interaction – it was certainly accepted, and it’s safe to say perhaps even encouraged – it was an open channel of communication that was helpful.
“This was not a back channel for the royal court.”
He added: “It is important to note that this channel pre-dates the Duke's relationship with Chris and me, as the Duke hosted the President during his state visit to the UK in 2015.”
Mr Hampshire also said Andrew “could certainly be a valuable link to China”.
He added: “While I believe China would prefer another member of the royal family, the reality is that if the UK government or the palace said there was a need to meet the Chinese president, I think the Duke would be able to do so, whereas others might not have the same opportunity.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
