An expert on the Royal Family has said that Prince Andrew is likely to be "extremely upset" as a result of the reports that he will not be attending the traditional Christmas celebrations that are held at Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family. After confirming that he had "ceased all contact" with a businessman who was suspected of being a Chinese spy, this next development comes as a result.
Mirror reported that the Prince severed all links as soon as issues were brought to his attention, as stated in a statement released by his office. There was "nothing of a sensitive nature that was ever discussed," according to the statement, which claimed that Prince Andrew had met the individual through official procedures. The businessman in question has stated that he has "done nothing wrong or unlawful" and has disputed that he is a spy.
In an interview with OK! Magazine, Jennie Bond, a former correspondent for the BBC Royal, referred to the current news as "another embarrassing row" involving the royal family. She also suggested that King Charles would have "hated" the fact that he had to remove him from the Sandringham gathering.
"Andrew would have had to be living on another planet to be unaware of the furore surrounding his association with an alleged spy. Just as the year is set to end on a high for the Royal Family - with the King and Princess of Wales greeting the crowds on Christmas Day - along comes another embarrassing row involving the Duke of York," Jennie said.
According to Jennie, Prince Andrew is the brother of the King, and the King is a kind person. If the King had been put in the situation of having to either uninvite him or restrict him from attending what is expected to be a large family gathering, he would have been miserable. Given the circumstances, it is quite probable that Prince Andrew met down with Fergie and possibly his daughters to discuss the most effective way to resolve the issue. He realized that his attendance at Sandringham would be an embarrassing distraction on a day that should be all about the King and Princess Catherine.
According to Yahoo! Life, Jennie also suggested that the Duke of York would be "extremely upset" by the situation, but his family, including ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, would be "rallying" around him.
"I think he will be extremely upset by it all. By all accounts he is living a fairly isolated life after his fall from grace. To be treated as a pariah by your own family at Christmas is tough...however much you might deserve it," she added.
She stated that she believes his ex-wife and his daughters will come together in an effort to show their support for him. Furthermore, despite the fact that his siblings could be feeling frustrated, they are not heartless and will most likely have a conversation with him on Christmas Day.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Andrew for comments.
