Prince Edward and his wife Duchess Sophie were set for an "unhappy" Christmas thanks to disgraced brother Prince Andrew, before a change in his plans.
The Mirror reported that the couple were initially planned to be placed with the Duke of York in Sandringham for the festive period, much to their chagrin. However, their festive plans took a positive turn when Prince Andrew decided not to attend due to his involvement in yet another scandal, this time involving a Chinese spy.
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie were said to have been "less than pleased" when initially told the plans at being "cheek by jowl with the Yorks," reported the Sun. Instead, Prince Andrew will enjoy a solitary Christmas at Royal Lodge, accompanied only by his ex-wife Sarah, while the rest of the family partakes in festivities at Sandringham.
This week a Royal expert suggested the Duke of York is likely to be "extremely upset" he won't be joining the rest of the Royal Family for their traditional Christmas festivities at Sandringham. Speaking to OK! Magazine, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond said: "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 draws to a close, with the King and Princess of Wales greeting the crowds on Christmas Day, the Duke of York finds himself embroiled in another unpleasant dispute. Jennie asserts that the King is a generous individual, and Prince Andrew is his family. If the King had been put in the situation of having to either refuse to invite him or to forbid him from attending what is expected to be a large gathering of the family, he would have been really upset.
She continued, "It seems quite likely Andrew sat down with Fergie, and possibly his daughters, to discuss the best solution. Thankfully, wise heads have prevailed and he obviously realised that his presence at Sandringham would be an embarrassing distraction on a day which - this year of all years - should be all about the King and Catherine."
Prince Andrew's decision comes amid links to an alleged Chinese spy. The Duke of York is currently under scrutiny over his relationship with the businessman, known as H6, who has been banned from the UK over spying concerns.
According to Yahoo!, he ended his relationship with the accused businessman. This happened when concerns were first raised about him in a statement from his office. Royals are claimed to be furious after he became involved in the fresh scandal.
H6, a 50-year-old businessman, is alleged to have used his links with Prince Andrew to secure invites to high-profile events and royal residences. According to The Sunday Times, he visited Buckingham Palace twice as the Duke's guest, as well as attending events at St. James's Palace and Windsor Palace.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Edward for comments.
