Prince Andrew may never “join his family again in public” after being hit by a scandal involving links to an alleged Chinese spy, a royal source has said.
The 64-year-old younger brother of King Charles hit the headlines once again this week after a High Court hearing revealed alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK, was said to have been a “close” confidant of Andrew.
The Duke of York is now said to be staying away from the Royal Family’s traditional gathering at King Charles’s private Norfolk estate Sandringham this year, where 45 other royals are expected to spend Christmas Day.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a source said: “I find it hard to imagine he will ever join them again in public, if I’m honest. There’s only so many times the duke can be asked to keep his head down and wait for the storm to pass. Enough is enough.”
It’s reported the Duke had made the decision this week to skip the Christmas gathering after discussing the issue with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.
Writing in the Daily Mail, royal editor Rebecca English, said that “many in royal circles believe the Duke’s capitulation was, ultimately, the right decision in the circumstances, it also sets the seal on his public humiliation”.
It’s not clear if Prince Andrew will attend another family function at Buckingham Palace on Sunday involving the King and up to 70 family members, but according to reports there is a “working assumption” he will also not attend that event.
The duke’s ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York will also miss Christmas at Sandringham, in what will be seen as a show of solidarity for her former husband.
The pair are said to be preparing to spend the day together at Royal Lodge, the home they still share in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have young families, had already planned to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws this year for the first time, sources said.
Mr Yang, who was named after an anonymity order was lifted on Monday, has insisted it was “entirely untrue” to claim he was involved in espionage and that he has “done nothing wrong or unlawful”.
The businessman, previously referred to only as H6 in the legal case, was the founder-partner of the Chinese arm of the duke’s PitchPalace initiative, and twice visited Buckingham Palace in 2018 to meet with the late Queen’s second son.
He is also said to have entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle at Andrew’s invitation. It has been reported the King was briefed by the intelligence services about his brother’s links to Mr Yang, who also goes by the name Christopher Yang.
The King was said to have been hoping the Duke would make the decision to miss Sandringham to prevent Charles and the royal family facing any further embarrassment, with Andrew urged by insiders to “to do the decent thing”.
On Friday, the Duke’s office said Andrew “ceased all contact” with the then-unnamed businessman when concerns were first raised about him. Andrew met Mr Yang through “official channels” with “nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed”, a statement said.
The Duke disappeared from public life since stepping down from official duties in 2019, but he carried on joining the royal family for Christmas Day.
