TYB
o7
Why Prince Andrew Is Missing from the Royal Family's Christmas Walk This Year
The Duke of York didn't join his brother the King for the much-loved public walk to church on Christmas Day
By Janine Henni & Rachel Burchfield
December 25, 2024
08:20AM EST
Prince Andrew didn't join the royal family's traditional Christmas celebrations at Sandringham amid another scandal.
On Dec. 25, the Duke of York, 64, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson skipped the royal family's traditional Christmas gathering amid backlash around the Duke of York's connection to an alleged Chinese "spy." Their younger daughter Princess Eugenie also didn't join the public-facing walk to church on Christmas, though their elder daughter Princess Beatrice did.
It was a last-minute change in plans for Beatrice, 36, who is pregnant with her second child and a decision made as her due date approaches. The princess stepped out with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and stepson Christopher Woolf, 8, for the festive walk to church at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate, where they joined King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family.
PEOPLE understands that Princess Beatrice had plans to spend the holiday with her in-laws in Italy, but doctors advised against travel at this point of her pregnancy.
In addition to skipping the Christmas gathering at the Norfolk estate and the traditional family walk to church at St. Mary Magdalene on the estate’s grounds the morning of Dec. 25, Andrew also didn't go to his brother King Charles’ pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 19 amid uproar around the alleged spy scandal.
Earlier this month, Andrew found himself at the center of further controversy following his disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview surrounding his sexual assault allegations and association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which resulted in his step back as a working royal. The latest scandal involves the Duke of York’s close business links with a Chinese national alleged to be a spy, according to multiple reports.
The alleged spy, Yang Tengbo, was reportedly appointed as a “business adviser” to Prince Andrew and was promised access to the highest levels of the royal family “in an apparently serious breach of national security,” according to The Times. The outlet added that British security services found the man was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was working for its United Front Work Department, which gathers intelligence.
The BBC reported that the man received an invite to Prince Andrew’s 60th birthday party in 2020 — just months after his Newsnight fiasco — and was told he could act on his behalf to seek investors in China. The Times reported that the alleged spy was also invited to the royal estate at Windsor.
Amid the fallout, it emerged on Dec. 16 that the Duke and Duchess of York (who divorced in 1996 but continue to live at Royal Lodge in Windsor) would no longer attend the royal family Christmas at Sandringham. Last year, the ex-couple stayed at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, and were expected to do so again this year.
…
https://people.com/why-prince-andrew-isnt-with-royal-family-christmas-8763626
>>22226939 (me)
Prince Andrew spotted with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson after skipping Royal Christmas amid scandal
Prince Andrew has been spotted amid staying away from the Royal Family's Christmas celebrations in Sandringham after becoming embroiled in a scandal involving an alleged Chinese spy
By Jennifer Newton
15:35, 25 Dec 2024
Updated 16:10, 25 Dec 2024
Prince Andrew has been spotted with his ex-wife after deciding to skip royal Christmas in Sandringham.
The disgraced royal didn't join the other royals at church today. He was seen leaving the Royal Lodge with his Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
It was revealed last week that Duke of York had decided to stay away from the festivities to avoid further embarrassing the King after being embroiled in a scandal involving an alleged Chinese spy. Andrew has instead been spending Christmas with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who still lives with him at his Windsor home, Royal Lodge.
Andrew spent last Christmas with the royal family at the King’s Norfolk estate and was seen walking to and from church on Christmas Day as well as talking to local royal fans. Christmas this year is looking a lot different as he spends it with ex-wife Fergie. His eldest daughter Princess Beatrice, who is pregnant with her second child, is at Sandringham for Christmas. However, younger daughter Princess Eugenie is spending Christmas with her husband Jack Brooksbank's family for the first time.
The Duke of York’s latest nightmare was exposed after an alleged Chinese spy lost his appeal several weeks ago against being barred from the UK. The man, identified today as Yang Tengbo and named in court documents as ‘H6’, brought the case after being banned in March 2023 on national security grounds despite having become a close contact of the Duke.
The Chinese businessman, who has insisted he has "done nothing wrong or unlawful", visited Buckingham Palace twice and also entered St James's Palace and Windsor Castle as a guest of Andrew, 64. In a statement, Mr Tengbo added that the "widespread description of me as a 'spy' is entirely untrue".
Mr Yang was also invited to Prince Andrew's birthday party in 2020, and was told by royal aide Dominic Hampshire he could act on the duke's behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, a tribunal heard in July this year. The Duke on Friday released a statement stating he had ceased all contact with the alleged spy after being warned by the security services. He added: "Nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed."
However, the King and other senior royals were said to be 'exasperated' for Andrew heaping further shame on the monarchy. Royal sources confirmed Andrew had "done the right thing" by stepping away from the Christmas gathering. A royal source previously said: “The King and other members of the family are as exasperated as can be with the Duke with this latest issue. It is of grave embarrassment to him and the institution."
Despite cutting him off financially and refusing to meet the £3million a year cost of his private security, the King had attempted to bring his brother in from the cold since ascending the throne. His former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, who has herself been embroiled in several scandals involving cash for access claims at the heart of the institution involving her ex-husband, said she will always "support" the father of her children.
She added: "I was totally and utterly in love with Andrew. I would do it all over again, 100 per cent. He’s the best, a great man with a great heart, and kind. Our wedding was the best day of my life. But I gave up my anonymity that day. I was able to because love conquers all. It’s still with us today. I won’t let him down."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/breaking-prince-andrew-spotted-ex-34354022