Prince Andrew has delivered a message of sympathy from the Queen to the Chinese people over the coronavirus outbreak, according to China's ambassador to the UK.

Liu Xiaoming said the monarch was praying "for the speedy control and victory over the virus".

Mr Liu said Andrew relayed the Queen's "encouraging" message after being invited to the diplomat's residence.

The Duke of York stepped back from royal duties last year in the wake of his controversial friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Buckingham Palace would not confirm the engagement with Mr Liu took place but said any such meeting would be in a private capacity.


Image: The Chinese ambassador said he had invited the Duke of York to his residence. Pic: @AmbLiuXiaoMing

Formal messages from the Queen to heads of state are ordinarily made via official palace statements.

The ambassador tweeted: "Her Majesty The Queen sent an encouraging message to President Xi and Chinese people: At the critical time of fighting #coronavirus, I express my sincere sympathy for Chinese people, and pray for the speedy control and victory over the virus. It was conveyed by Duke of York."

The diplomat also wrote: "My wife and I invited Duke of York and his family to our residence and celebrated Chinese New Year. Their enthusiasm for China and contribution to China-UK relation is highly appreciated."

Mr Liu tweeted a photo of himself with Andrew, and another image of them with the duke's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and the former couple's eldest daughter Princess Beatrice.

At least 803 people have died in China from coronavirus in recent weeks, along with one person in the Philippines and another in Hong Kong.

The majority of deaths have been in the Chinese city of Wuhan which is the epicentre of the outbreak.

More than 34,000 people have been infected around the world, almost all in China.