Prince Andrew faces new questions about his connections to David Rowland, multi-millionaire businessman.
It comes amid calls for an inquiry into the Duke of York’s finances after it was reported last week that Mr Rowland paid off a £1.5 million loan given to Andrew by Banque Havilland, a secretive bank for the super-rich controlled by the Rowland family.
Details of the loan raised suspicions because two years ago The Mail on Sunday revealed how Andrew had exploited his taxpayer-funded role as Britain’s trade envoy to quietly work behind the scenes for Mr Rowland, a controversial financier and Tory Party donor.
This footage was captured from within a Mercedes, and it shows the car passing through the Palace’s central courtyard.
Now, this newspaper can reveal that Mr Rowland’s son Jonathan – Banque Havilland’s former chief executive – boasted of holding a meeting with Andrew at Buckingham Palace at a time when he was trying to land a potentially lucrative business deal involving the Royal estate.
He even sent staff at his company JGOO an extraordinary video recorded from within the Palace’s gates.
The footage, seen by the MoS, was captured from inside a Mercedes as it passed through the Palace’s central courtyard and underneath an arch, before sweeping along the red gravel concourse and towards The Mall.
A message from Jonathan Rowland accompanying the video boasted that he had enjoyed a ‘good afternoon at Buckingham Palace’ and a ‘great engaging conversation with HRH Duke of York’.
Jonathan Rowland’s WhatsApp message regarding his visit to Buckingham Palace. He sent staff at his company JGOO an extraordinary video recorded from within the Palace’s gates
JGOO, which helps British firms take payments from wealthy Chinese visitors, was ‘on the agenda now’, he said, adding a celebration emoji with a party-blower.
This message raises questions about Andrew’s close relationship with the Rowland clan.
On December 19, 2019, the MoS showed how Andrew was silently promoting Banque Havilland, even though he was on official trade missions.
We also revealed that the Duke co-owned a business with the Rowlands in a Caribbean tax haven and made a secret deal to fly around the world on a £40 million jet owned by David Rowland.
Last week, financial website Bloomberg reported that in December 2017, David Rowland paid off a £1.5 million loan that Andrew had been granted by Banque Havilland.
Jonathan Rowland, 46, was Banque Havilland’s chief executive between 2009 and 2013 before co-founding JGOO in July 2017.
Mode Business was subsequently renamed the company. It allows British companies to receive payments from Chinese tourists using WeChatPay and Alipay mobile apps.
JGOO would then charge a ‘small percentage of the transaction’.
According to a company insider, JGOO was expecting to sign a contract in July 2019 with Buckingham Palace. This would allow Chinese tourists to purchase entry tickets to the palace and souvenirs at Buckingham Palace using their smartphones.
‘We were told that we were going to win this contract because of the Duke of York,’ they added.
Jonathan Rowland is pictured left with Prince Andrew. The Duke co-owned a business with the Rowlands in a Caribbean tax haven and made a secret deal to fly around the world on a £40 million jet owned by David Rowland
‘The Duke and Jonathan Rowland obviously had a good relationship and it had come about because of that.’
Jonathan Rowland had sent the WhatsApp messages to JGOO employees on July 9. The video that was attached appeared to show Rowland driving away from the Palace in the aftermath of the meeting.
The Palace and JGOO never reached a deal. Despite this, the MoS has seen a document entitled ‘JGOO’s existing client list’, which includes Buckingham Palace.
Jonathan Rowland denied discussing JGOO with Prince Andrew at the Palace, adding ‘no discussion with the Duke of York took place around commercial terms’.
Although he didn’t attend, he said that JGOO had a conversation with Royal Collection Trust. This trust manages Buckingham Palace’s summer opening to tourists.
He said he had not seen the client list document and did not recognise the description of the video, adding: ‘I don’t know what you are referring to. I have been to Buckingham Palace many times.’
Buckingham Palace said: ‘This company has never provided services to the Royal Household nor Royal Collection Trust.’