Prince Andrew to Spend Christmas With Ex-Wife Sarah Ferguson Amid Spy Scandal
In the wake of a scandal involving allegations of a Chinese spy, Prince Andrew is reportedly altering his Christmas plans with King Charles III. The disgraced Duke of York, who has been facing mounting controversy, will not be joining the royal family at their traditional gathering at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Instead, he is set to spend the holiday at his home in Windsor with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
Royal sources confirmed to the BBC that Andrew had decided to "honorably withdraw" from the family celebrations to avoid becoming a distraction. Amid the ongoing allegations, the Duke has stated that he has "ceased all contact" with the man at the center of the spy claims and insists that there was “nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.”
The controversy surrounding Andrew began last week when a UK national security court upheld a 2023 ruling banning an alleged Chinese spy from the country. The initial ruling, which kept the individual’s identity confidential, referred to him as “H6” and noted the “unusual degree of trust” he had developed with Prince Andrew through their business dealings.
A letter from Andrew’s senior adviser, Dominic Hampshire, to H6 was included in the ruling, where Hampshire commented on the closeness of their relationship. “Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on,” the letter read. “Under your guidance, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor.” On Monday, a High Court judge revealed that “H6” was Yang Tengbo, a businessman who studied in the UK and has since denied the allegations of espionage.
Following the scandal, palace insiders were reportedly hoping that Andrew would step back from the royal family’s annual Christmas events. The Times reported that those close to the family urged the Duke to “do the decent thing” and skip the festivities. Additionally, according to The Independent, Sarah Ferguson, who remains close to Andrew, also advised him to avoid the gathering.
In another twist, it was reported by Hello! magazine that Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, would also be spending the holidays away from Sandringham with their respective in-laws.
