Princess Eugenie pulled into Prince Andrew's spy scandal on visit to Tokyo - report

Princess Eugenie attended a networking event in Tokyo on her father the Duke of York's behalf, it has been reported.

In a video published by The Telegraph, the 34-year-old royal is seen on-stage and wearing a black sleeveless dress, at the event in the ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Japanese capital last November.

The Princess was reportedly already in Japan on a work trip for Hauser & Wirth, the international art gallery where she has worked since 2015.

The audience comprised about 1,000 Japanese businessmen and Prince Andrew reportedly asking his youngest daughter to attend as part of a business deal.

According to the newspaper, the Duke has said to have agreed a commercial partnership with a Dutch company, effectively selling them contacts and networks made prior to his fall from grace.

Andrew stepped back from public duties in 2019 following his disastrous Newsnight interview, which focused on his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

© Getty Images

The Telegraph reports that the Duke's new business venture, called Innovate Global, was allegedly dreamt up with Yang Tengbo, from Andrew's previous initiative, Pitch@Palace.

The Duke, 64, hit the headlines once again last year after a High Court hearing revealed alleged Chinese spy Mr Tengbo, who was banned from the UK, was said to have been a "close" confidant.

Mr Yang, who has denied being involved in espionage, was a founder-partner of the Chinese arm of Andrew's Pitch@Palace initiative and visited several royal residences at the invitation of the Duke.

© Getty

The royal's office said the Duke had "ceased all contact" with the businessman when concerns were first raised about him.

The event, attended by Eugenie last year, was reportedly run by Innovate Global jointly with Startupbootcamp (SBC), the Dutch-based conglomerate that funds start-up businesses around the world.

After the King cut financial ties with his brother, Andrew is said to have opened discussions with SBC to sell his former Pitch@Palace network "on a territory by territory basis".

HELLO! has reached out to the Duke of York's office for comment.