Calls for Prince Andrew to bow out of Christmas with the royals started to intensify after it was revealed the Duke of York had ties to suspected Chinese spy Yang Tengbo last week. While Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson eventually backed out of going to Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family, it's now been confirmed that they won't be attending another major festive event.
Multiple outlets reported on Wednesday, Dec. 18 that the Duke of York will not be attending The King's annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace this week. The event, which will be held on Dec. 19, will welcome 70 members of the family, including many extended relatives who don't come to the usual royal get-togethers.
As late as Tuesday, some sources claimed that the Duke of York was still planning on going to the lunch, but it seems like he had a change of heart—perhaps thanks to a heart-to-heart from Fergie.
Per the Daily Mail, King Charles and Queen Camilla "were quietly hoping that the Duchess of York might come to their rescue and ‘talk some sense’ into her ex-husband, as one of the few people to still have his ear."
Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, told the Mirror that Prince Andrew's recent spy scandal put the nail in the coffin for the duke, so to speak. "His irresponsible behavior and dubious friendships have exasperated his older brother for some time now," she said. "But nothing has been quite as damaging to the monarchy as Andrew’s current situation."
Seward continued that the situation with alleged spy Tengbo—who was friends with the Duke of York and was invited to several royal residences over the years—"involves the British government, MI6 and the Chinese government. It's almost like a television spy special."
She noted that with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, now gone, the duke's situation is even worse. "The multiple scandals he has been associated with have embarrassed his family and made him a subject of ridicule," Seward shared, adding, "Although when The Queen was alive, he was partially protected by her devotion."
As for Andrew's revised Christmas plans, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are spending the holidays with their respective in-laws, so it seems he'll be spending a quiet Christmas at Royal Lodge with one of his only supporters, ex-wife Ferguson.
