Prince Andrew will not be joining his brother King Charles III and other members of the royal family for Christmas this year.
Instead, the Duke of York, 64, will “honourably withdraw” from the royal family’s Christmas celebrations at their estate in Sandringham, England to avoid being a distraction, according to the BBC.
It is expected that Andrew will remain home at Royal Lodge in Windsor Park — the palatial estate he has fought to remain in after King Charles attempted to evict him.
Andrew’s bowing out comes after a British high court hearing last week heard evidence suggesting that an alleged Chinese spy banned from the UK was a “close” confidant of the prince.
On Monday, businessman Yang Tenbo, also known as Chris Yang, was revealed to be the alleged Chinese operative after a judge lifted an anonymity order that had kept his identity under wraps.
Yang has denied the accusations of espionage leveled against him, saying in a statement that he had “done nothing wrong or unlawful and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded.”
He also said that it is “entirely untrue” that he was a spy.
The Chinese national visited the UK regularly and frequently attended events at royal residences — Prince Andrew’s 60th birthday party at Royal Lodge key among them.
Court documents have reportedly revealed that Yang had an “unusual degree of trust” with Prince Andrew and was authorized to act on his behalf in business dealings with Chinese investors.
A letter reportedly sent by one of Prince Andrew’s advisors to Yang said, “Under your guidance, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor.”
The prince’s office has pushed back on accusations of impropriety, insisting that “nothing of a sensitive nature” was discussed with the Chinese businessman and that their meetings had occurred “through official channels.”
Andrew has also said he “ceased all contact” with the alleged spy, who is accused of trying to ingratiate himself with influential figures in the British establishment as part of an “elite capture” operation.
Andrew’s retreat from the royal family’s holiday gathering will be particularly underscored on Christmas Day when the Windsors make their annual walk to a morning church service, greeting crowds and members of the media on their way.
The moment is considered to be one of the bigger events on the royal calendar as the royal family — working and non-working members alike — are rarely all seen together in public.
Prince Andrew was reportedly urged to keep a low profile this Christmas. It is said there were concerns Andrew’s presence at Sandringham could overshadow the occasion.
The duke will not be alone on Christmas, however. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, will join him at Royal Lodge, where she also lives.
However, Prince Andrew’s two daughters — Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — will be spending the holiday with their in-laws this year.
