Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is reportedly in the process of dissolving several of his remaining business ventures, including Pitch@Palace Global Ltd.
Pitch@Palace, styled as a “Dragon’s Den”-esque competition for start-ups, provided a platform for entrepreneurs to present their ideas to potential investors. It was previously considered a potential income stream for the former Prince following the cessation of financial support from the King.
According to documents filed with Companies House on Tuesday, the application to dissolve the company was signed by Arthur Lancaster, the sole director.
Requests for comment have been made to both Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor and Mr. Lancaster.
The decision to close Pitch@Palace signals a further retreat from public life for the former Prince, precipitated by scrutiny surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The pitching competition’s operations were suspended in 2019 following an interview with BBC Newsnight, which led to Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor stepping down from royal duties and relinquishing his royal titles.
While the UK arm of the business was wound up in 2021, Pitch@Palace Global, its international counterpart, remained operational.
The venture subsequently faced further controversy when Yang Tengbo, founder of the Chinese branch of Pitch@Palace, was accused of espionage, allegations he has denied.
Startup Bootcamp, a Dutch company, previously expressed interest in acquiring the business, issuing a press release citing the “immense value” of the Pitch@Palace network. However, the deal ultimately fell through earlier this year.
Financial records indicate a significant depletion of Pitch@Palace Global’s assets in recent years, with the latest accounts showing a balance of £10,965 at the end of March, down from £220,990 the previous year.
Mr. Lancaster is understood to hold the shares in Pitch@Palace Global on behalf of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, who is listed as a person with significant control under his former title, Prince Andrew.
Additionally, Innovate Global Ltd, another company with ties to the former Prince, has also commenced the process of dissolution, also on Tuesday.
Arthur Lancaster is also the sole director of this company, and signed the application for striking off the company according to documents filed at Companies House on Tuesday.
A plan to relaunch some of the international activities of Pitch@Palace under the brand Innovate Global was mentioned in a 2023 witness statement given by Mr Yang.
Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s name does not appear on the official paperwork for Innovate Global Ltd, which has no employees and negligible assets.
It was announced on Tuesday that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s surname should be spelled with a hyphen.
Versions with and without the hyphen have been used in the past, but a 1960 Privy Council announcement used the hyphenated version, which will be used from now on.
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