LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 05: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral on June 5, 2012 in London, England. For only the second time in its history the UK celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of a monarch. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. Thousands of wellwishers from around the world have flocked to London to witness the spectacle of the weekend's celebrations. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

British royal family member pulls out of Christmas at Sandringham: Report

The royal is said to have "voluntarily decided" to miss it

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DECEMBER 17, 2024 3:31 PM ESTDEC 17, 2024, 3:31 PM EST

Prince Andrew reportedly won't be celebrating Christmas at Sandringham with his brother King Charles this year. The news follows a report that the Duke of York was allegedly linked to a suspected Chinese spy. Prince Andrew's office has said (via The Guardian), "The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised," adding, “The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed."

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The MailOnline reported on Dec. 16 that Andrew "has agreed not to embarrass the King further and has voluntarily decided" to miss the Christmas gathering, along with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. The outlet had previously reported that King Charles did not want to ban his brother from attending, but His Majesty hoped that Andrew would "do the decent thing" and "recuse" himself from joining them.

Prince Andrew and Sarah celebrated Christmas with the royal family in 2023

According to the MailOnline, King Charles and Queen Camilla "had made clear privately that it would be a 'blessing' if Sarah" were to persuade Andrew "to 'see sense' and tactfully withdraw from public gatherings over the next week as the storm around his dealings with an alleged Chinese spy still rages." Per different outlets, Andrew and Sarah will likely spend Christmas at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Both the Duke of York and his ex, as well as their daughters—Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie—and their respective spouses—Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank—celebrated Christmas with the King and Queen in 2023. Last year marked the first time that Sarah had joined the royal family on their traditional walk in over 30 years. Sarah celebrated the holiday with a photo of herself and her daughters, writing: "We are enjoying each other’s company and feeling grateful today. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Happy Christmas to anyone who celebrates and season’s greetings to all!"

Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties in 2019 following his bombshell interview with Newsnight.