LONDON – Britain’s semi-secret immigration court on Friday released further documents suggesting that Prince Andrew became entangled with a suspected Chinese spy because he was desperate to rebuild his reputation after a disastrous 2019 interview with the BBC.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission released the witness statement of royal aide Dominic Hampshire, who helped arrange meetings between the prince and the suspected spy, Chinese businessman Tengbo Yang. The statement was initially kept private, but the commission released it after appeals by news organizations that argued it was in the public interest.

“After the Newsnight interview and in the following few months, it was clear that the duke’s reputation was irrecoverable,” Hampshire said in the witness statement. “This was a common feeling within the royal household, despite what the duke thought may happen.

“It was very clear internally within the royal household that we would have to look at options for the duke’s future away from royal duties,” he said.

Andrew, also known as the Duke of York, has said that he accepted government advice and ceased all contact with the Chinese national as soon as concerns were raised.