It is thought the deal could generate millions for Andrew and help him hold on to Royal Lodge, the Grade II listed royal property in Windsor Great Park where he lives with his ex-wife Sarah.
For a senior royal with a tarnished reputation to find himself involved with two men recently named by separate countries as alleged threats to national security appears to border on the ridiculous.
Andrew's closest aide, Dominic Hampshire, ensured that then-ambassador Liu Xiaoming was able to bypass certain security measures on the Windsor estate.
Located in the leafy countryside surrounded by greenery, Royal Lodge, which Prince Andrew shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, is just three miles from Windsor and 25 miles from London.
While King Charles is hosting his 'biggest ever' family Christmas in Sandringham, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are set for a very lonely day 130 miles away in Windsor.
The Duke of York appeared glum this morning as he drove his Range Rover from Royal Lodge, Windsor, after his alleged decade-long friendship with a Chinese spy was uncovered.
The Duchess of York, 65, and the disgraced royal divorced in 1996 but have remained close and even live together at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate.