The multimillionaire repairman that the company boasts can get you an appointment with the royal family

The Daily Mail may reveal that three members of the royal family have commercial ties with an entrepreneur behind a club of members touting access to the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.

Queen's grandson, Peter Phillips, recently joined a Hong Kong-based colorful investor and the so-called "Houston Baron", 47-year-old Johnny Hon, as part of a corporate venture. horse racing.

He follows his sister Zara, who has not held the position of executive director of the global group of businessmen until last year.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was director of a media investment company with Dr. Hon, who recently recorded losses of nearly £ 10 million and is on the run. point to collapse.

Last night, the royal family was facing questions about its links with the thirsty advertising millionaire after his company boasted of helping affluent investors meet Prince Philip, 97 years old.

Last month, Dr. Hon said he was working with his wife Autumn, Mr. Phillips, at the age of 40, on "luxury lifestyle events" for the sports and fashion club. world group life.

The Elite Club promises its members access to "invitational gatherings" such as "The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Christmas Dinner at Buckingham Palace".

He posed for a photo with Autumn after another presumed business meeting in October and posted it on Facebook, next to a photo of her in a car with the Queen.

But last night, Ms. Phillips insisted on meeting the businessman only because he entered a £ 10,000 supercar journey through the Pyrenees that she organizes.

The charges of royal access to Dr. Hon's club members were also canceled by a spokesman for Buckingham Palace, who said he was "unaware" of a "royal Christmas dinner" and pointed out that Prince Philip had withdrawn from his public engagements.

Mr. Hon's commercial interests include gold mining, gambling, oil drilling and even Hollywood film production.

He regularly boasts of his contact book, posting photos of him on social networks with major royal figures, including Philip, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge.

He also boasts a variety of titles he has purchased, including the Scottish "Baron of Houston", the Lordship of Chesterton in Cambridgeshire, and the barony of Carlingford Castle in Ireland.

The businessman founded and invested in a series of British companies. His latest company, The Global Lifestyle Group and Sports Club, boasts of offering private members "exclusive access" to some of the world's most prestigious sporting events.

According to his vice president, anyone listed as a candidate could attend "private meetings with celebrities, diplomats, world leaders, captains of industry, fashion and sports superstars".

In addition to benefits, including access to Royal Ascot's royal precinct, the company claims a Christmas dinner at Buckingham Palace.

Last night, Dr. Hon said that the offer of access to Prince Philip was related to his work with the charitable badociation of the Duke of Edinburgh. He added that investors could be referred to the charity and that if they made the "required donations", they could be invited to a dinner in a palace.

Last month, 41-year-old Peter Phillips met with Dr. Hon at the global group headquarters in Hong Kong to finalize the plans for a horse racing club. Mr Phillips – who has been criticized for receiving £ 750,000 for organizing Queen's 90th birthday party – will run a portfolio of racehorses to be bought by wealthy investors.

His role in the world Premier Racing Club will take place alongside his company City Racing, which aims to bring horse racing into the streets of cities, including London. He is also Managing Director of the UK branch of Sports Management Company SEL Ltd, whose wife is Corporate Secretary and his sister Zara, one of his clients.

In 2017, Zara joined Dr. Hon's Global Group as a non-executive director. He said that "the accomplished entrepreneur (…) will prove very useful in helping us to increase our visibility in high-quality sports and media projects," she said last year.

Following his meeting with Peter Phillips in Hong Kong, Dr. Hon wrote on Facebook: "We are also working with Peter's wife, Autumn Phillips, on luxury lifestyle events for our sports club and group. Lifestyle of the world group. As we move into several exclusive private membership clubs, I look forward to sharing more updates in the future. "

In October, Dr. Hon published a photo of himself and Ms. Phillips, with the following caption: "I had a nice meeting with Autumn Phillips to discuss his cooperation with our new luxury lifestyle club , the Global Lifestyle Group and Sports Club. "

Last month, it became apparent that Mr. Hon was director of media investment company Gate Ventures alongside the Duchess of York and former ITV boss Lord Grade. Despite investment in the West End hits, including 42nd Street, the company is about to collapse after losing nearly 10 million pounds between June and June 2018. Mr. Hon S & H Was withdrawn in December 2017.

Gate Ventures also owns half of Ginger & Moss, a tea company created by the Duchess of York. A friend of the Duchess said that Lord Grade had recently called on Gate Ventures to develop Ginger & Moss and that she was not involved in other aspects of the business.

Peter Phillips confirmed that he was working with Dr. Hon on the Global Group Premier Racing Club. He added, "When we can announce something, we will do it." A spokeswoman for Zara said she had not held a position in the global group for some time.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said, "The Duke of Edinburgh is not organizing a royal Christmas dinner. We have no knowledge of the event described. "

One of Autumn Phillips' spokespersons said, "His involvement with Dr. Hon is simply that he signed up as a participant in the GB Run 2019 Supercar. It's a tour conducted by Supercar GB, a company that Phillips has operated for several years. There is absolutely no royal involvement in GB Supercar events. Ms. Phillips is not involved in the global lifestyle and sports club. "

Last night, Dr. Hon said, "The Global Group Lifestyle and Sports Club is a social event management club that brings together celebrities (with the interest of investing in the British and European livestock breeding sector). blood) that we organize for our best customers.

"One of the projects we are promoting to potential donors is to help the good work of the Duke of Edinburgh Fellowship and if the clients or members make the required donations subject to strict due diligence on their behalf. source and source of funds, they will be invited to join the community (at the sole discretion of the charity) and to the activities organized by the charity of the Duke d & # 39; s scholarship. Edinburgh ".

He added, "As an angel investor, I have a long history of investing in start-up companies and other high-risk businesses. However, it is well known that Angel Investing does not always succeed. At all times, I invest and conduct business according to the highest ethical standards.

RICHARD KAY: Meeting with Dr. Hon, the "Baron of Houston" who has business relations with THREE Royals

Any entrepreneur who encourages his ten dollar purchase of tenants at the top by strengthening his business skills has the right to have his motives thoroughly examined.

On the other hand, of course, ordinary people may badume that such an approach only marks the individual as being rather eccentric.

Anyway, the desire of so many members of the royal family to be photographed with a man who gives a totally new meaning to the approval of the celebrity is intriguing to say the least.

Even the most superficial looks on Dr Johnny Hon's website and social media – which mention his business connections with North Korea – reveal a slew of happy royalties to pose with him.

There is the Duchess of Cambridge in one country and a smile with Prince Harry in another; Elsewhere, there is a black tie with Prince Philip and a top hat and a tail with the Countess of Wesbad at Ascot.

Prince Edward, whom he boasts of having known for 13 years, figures in several shots, while the Duchess of York and her daughter, Princess Eugenie, whom he was invited to the wedding of Windsor, are also included. The children of Princess Anne, Peter and Zara, are in the photos, as are their partners, Autumn Kelly and Mike Tindall.

Of course, royalty is not new to rich men. Indeed, they have often been attracted by a vertiginous susceptibility towards the very rich, while showing an extraordinary capacity to suspend their judgment in the background.

However, revelations that a company related to Dr. Hon offers the opportunity to dine with the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace are shining the spotlight on this judgment as never before.

The survey conducted today by the Daily Mail reveals that at least three members of the Queen's family have worked with the Hong Kong-born businessman who is behind a private club, with benefits that he claims include a lunch with Prince Philip, 97 years old, and entry into the club. to an alluring private box described as part of Royal Ascot's royal enclosure.

Johnny Hon, father of four, was trained in Britain at the age of 13, first at the Uppingham State High School, whose actor and presenter of television Stephen Fry and the 1930s movie star, Boris Karloff, and then at King's College, London, before completing a postgraduate degree in psychiatry at the University of Cambridge.

His website states that he is also a graduate of Harvard and has been a "guest professor" in a number of "well known" Chinese institutions. His home in Hong Kong is a 28 million pound townhouse on The Peak.

But one of his proudest claims is that he has never taken money from his parents – his father is a banker and his mother, an actress – from the age of 18, is boasting of selling second-hand cars to finance his studies.

It was in Cambridge that he created his Global Group company, putting Chinese entrepreneurs in touch with students likely to help them develop business ideas.

Since then, his business interests cover horse racing, pharmaceuticals, cash games, gold mining, oil drilling and even Hollywood film production.

He was appointed director or chairman of a number of companies, including Gate Ventures, originally from many shows in the West End, involving the Duchess of York.

Rather than lingering over such setbacks, he likes to tell his social media followers his tremendous networking skills by regularly posting photos of his encounters with the royal family, politicians, diplomats and international stars. cinema and sports.

In recent times, he started calling himself "Houston Baron" on his website. According to Debrett, there is no such barony, but he claims the title since 2016.

In fact, it is part of a string of titles with the impressive sound of which he became the owner. Others include the "Chepstow Lordship", the "Chesterton Lordship" and Ireland's "Barony of Carlingford Castle".

They certainly do not give him the right to call a lord. According to the College of Arms, it was very likely that all titles had been purchased.

"These titles are manor houses that are almost completely a form of extinguished land ownership," says Peter O'Donoghue, York Herald of the College. "Normally, all land has turned into another form of land ownership. The mansions cease to exist, but the lordship continued even though there is no land attached to the title.

"It then became an idea to sell the titles so that people could be" Lord this "and" Lord that ". They change hands for large sums of money even if they give absolutely no rights or benefits. "

And of course, Dr. Hon has the extravagant coat of arms of a mythical creature and other heraldic devices. Of course, there is also a motto: "Success of Perseverance Ambition".

Of course, but what about these royal links? Certainly, he took advantage of all the opportunities offered by this proximity with the royal family.

Take the picture that he posted with the Duchess of Cambridge. The aforementioned companies, Gate Ventures, were investing in the West End and were on 42nd Street. He was executive producer. Kate was invited to the opening charity event. Halfway through the red carpet, Dr. Hon.

As for these images with Philip and Edward, they seem to relate to the role played by Dr. Hon as a member of the Duke of Edinburgh's international awards program. All this is undoubtedly beneficial for business in Asia, where proximity to influential people is very popular.

But that's where Peter and Autumn Phillips worry that things get a little messy.

Just nine days ago, he announced he had met "my friend Peter Phillips" to finalize his project to create a horse racing club. This implies that Mr. Phillips manages a portfolio of race horses to be purchased by wealthy investors.

Ms. Phillips's alleged involvement raises other issues. In an article posted on his Facebook page, Dr. Hon wrote: "We are also working with Peter's wife, Autumn Phillips, on luxurious lifestyle events for our global lifestyle and sports club. " Prince Philip's is one of the only invitation-only events. Royal Christmas dinner at Buckingham Palace & # 39;

It is clear that he was impressed by his meetings with Ms. Phillips. After such a meeting, he recorded on Facebook: "I really felt at home in the fall … she is fluent in Chinese."

Last night, a spokeswoman for Ms. Phillips categorically denied that she had embarked on a business with Dr. Hon, only confirming that he had signed up for a car race that would not have been successful. she promotes.

And what about this invitation to Eugenie's wedding last October? I understand that he was invited because he was a client of Hauser and Wirth, the contemporary art gallery where she is a director.

Another social triumph of Dr. Hon.