The Duke of York has pulled out of tomorrow’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, MailOnline can reveal.
After speaking with his ex-wife, the Duchess of York, Prince Andrew decided not to meet 70 members of the royal family at the palace.
The duke’s decision will come as a relief to his brother, King Charles III, amid the current furor over Andrew’s relationship with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
It had been claimed that Andrew insisted on going to the lunch, telling his friends “I should be there” and that as it is a family occasion, “why shouldn’t I go?”
And even last night, royal officials were still unaware of his plans. But MailOnline understands that Sarah has persuaded him not to attend.
It comes after Andrew also agreed not to attend the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham next week.
Royal aides could not hide their relief on Monday after it was revealed that the duke had decided to “do the decent thing” and avoid the king’s blushes by pulling out of official festive celebrations and a walk to church.
However, each year the monarch also invites his large family (aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, husbands and wives) who do not make it to Sandringham, to gather for a big festive meal in London.
Prince Andrew is seen driving from Royal Lodge in Windsor this morning
Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York attend a service of thanksgiving for the life of King Constantine of the Hellenes at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on February 27, 2024.
Prince Andrew is accompanied by his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, on the annual royal outing to the Christmas Day church service in Sandringham, Norfolk, December 25, 2023.
Sources said yesterday they still had “no idea” whether the embattled royal would appear.
Meanwhile, senior royal advisers had been operating optimistically on the “working assumption” that the duke would “come to his senses” again and decide to “keep his head down.”
They felt that their presence at the “monarchy’s headquarters” would send a “contradictory and confusing message”, having chosen what was described as “the gentlemanly option” over Sandringham.
The lunch is private, but guests are usually photographed entering and exiting the palace doors.
Privately, there are serious concerns about the depth of Andrew’s involvement with Mr Yang, who reportedly referred to himself as “Prince Andrew’s special envoy” and was appointed by the royals as head of his Pitch@Palace China, a Dragons. ‘Den style initiative of which the Duke took a part.
Andrew with Edward at the Christmas service in Sandringham on 25 December 2023
Andrew insists he has done nothing wrong, despite a judge raising questions about how the alleged spy could have become such a “close confidant”.
It follows the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and concerns over the Duke’s role as the UK’s official “trade ambassador”.
But the most damning revelation in recent days was the emergence in 2021 of correspondence from his “senior adviser”, Dominic Hampshire, found by security services on Yang’s phone.
Hampshire emphasized the “strength” of the relationship with the duke and his family, adding: “Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the top of a tree that many, many people would like to be up.”
Most worryingly for palace officials, Hampshire wrote that after a meeting with Andrew, “we have wisely navigated former private secretaries and have found a way to carefully weed out those people we do not fully trust.”
He added that “under his direction we found a way to get the relevant people in and out of the house in Windsor” – a reference to Royal Lodge, Andrew’s home in Berkshire.
There is no idea who these individuals are, nor why they would be so interested in bypassing security to smuggle people into your home.
Alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who forged links with the Duke of York
Yang Tengbo (far right) with Andrew at an event to promote trade between China and Britain
Investigations continue into the access Mr Yang had when he visited the royal residences several times at Andrew’s invitation.
Yang, a businessman who forged close ties with the Duke of York and met senior politicians including Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May, has been banned from entering the UK since last year.
In July he challenged his ban from entering the UK before the Select Immigration Appeals Commission, but lost his appeal last week.
He has insisted that he “has done nothing wrong or illegal”, and has said that it is “completely false” to claim that he was involved in espionage, and claimed that he is a victim of a “political climate” that had seen rising tensions between the two countries. United Kingdom and China.
In a statement after a High Court judge lifted an order granting him anonymity, he said: “Due to the high level of speculation and misrepresentation in the media and elsewhere, I have asked my legal team to reveal my identity.” .
‘I have done nothing wrong or illegal and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are unfounded. The widespread description of me as a “spy” is completely false.’