Prince Andrew will never go to Sandringham again – banning him from Xmas saved Charles further humiliation, say experts
OUTCAST Prince Andrew will never go to Sandringham again after being “forced” out of the royal Christmas celebrations, an expert has claimed.
The Duke of York, 64, is understood to have declined to attend the annual festivities hosted by King Charles this year amid his Chinese spy scandal.
The monarch’s disgraced brother is reported to have been invited for lunch with other members of the Firm tomorrow – but felt pressured to stay away.
Biographer Andrew Lownie told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show: “I don’t think he’s going to go to Sandringham ever again.”
He added the other royals “need to distance themselves from him” to save any further embarrassment.
It comes after we published photos of the duke driving alone at Windsor as the rest of the family prepared to make the trip to the Norfolk estate.
We also revealed the King’s other brother Prince Edward and wife Sophie were “unhappy” at plans for them to share a cottage with Andrew over the festive period before he pulled out.
DISGRACED
Andrew, the late Queen’s second son and supposed favourite child, has been kept in the royal shadows since his car crash Newsnight interview in 2019.
He refused to condemn his relationship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during the grilling from host Emily Maitlis and gave bizarre explanations when asked about alleged trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre.
Most recently, he has been described as a “close confidant” of alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK on national security grounds.
During the latest Royal Exclusive chat – hosted by Sun royal editor Matt Wilkinson – GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker said it was “pretty telling” Andrew’s upcoming absence emerged a week before Christmas Day itself.
“If we’d have had no confirmation either way this story would have really dragged on and all everyone would be talking about on Christmas morning is [is] Andrew going to turn up for this Sandringham walk on Christmas Day?”
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is also understood to have declined an invite, while their daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie confirmed they weren’t going prior to the spy scandal emerging.
Mr Walker continued: “Maybe Fergie had a part to play in this?”
There is some suggestion the Duchess of York talked Andrew out of going.
Mr Cameron said she may have realised how “publicly damaging this could be for the Firm”, and the King has used her as his “trump card”.
The Yorks – who both still live at Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate – are expected to spend Christmas together away from the public glare.
Mr Walker speculated that if things have died down by next year then perhaps Andrew could make a return to the formal Christmas lunch.
However, Mr Lownie cut in that he doesn’t see Andrew ever stepping foot at Sandringham again.
Mr Wilkinson asked if he’s ever likely to accompany his family at another royal event either.
Mr Lownie said it would be best for the Firm to remain distant from him.
He said Beatrice’s wedding to husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020 was “done very quietly” as an example.
“There were no pictures of him (Andrew) released at the wedding, and I think that’s what they need to do,” he said.
Mr Lownie then referred to rumours the duke could move to the Middle East, saying he thought the idea “might have some validity”.
He (Andrew) needs to get out of view so people totally forget about him… I don’t think he cares about embarrassing the rest of the Royal Family
Andrew Lownie
“He needs to get out of view so people totally forget about him,” he added.
Mr Wilkinson pointed out, however, Andrew appears to enjoy the limelight and has only left the UK once since his Newsnight interview to visit Bahrain.
He said paparazzi shots often show him out and about, and he is usually almost “waving” at them.
Mr Lownie agreed that he is “so thick-skinned he doesn’t realise this is terrible optics”, adding: “I don’t think he cares about embarrassing the rest of the Royal Family.”
He pointed out Andrew has a house that was bought for him in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and his daughters are noticeably spending time in the Middle East these days.
“That would be the clever thing, but as you say he likes this attention,” he said.
Mr Walker said he assumed after the Newsnight interview and Andrew being removed as a working royal and stripped of his titles “we’d just never see him in public again”.
“And yet six months later or so when the scandal had settled down a bit we did see him at these family events.
“I think if he was going to go to the Middle East what would draw him back would be his grandchildren… but perhaps they can just go out to the Middle East and see him.”
LEAKED EMAILS
In light of the spy scandal, last week it was also reported a leaked email shows Andrew boasted about having been afforded preferential treatment in opening an account with the Bank of China in 2008.
The account is understood to have been based in China and would have allowed Andrew to take payments for business deals outside of the glare of UK authorities.
Mr Lownie had previously said: “We need a real investigation, probably by parliamentary committee, into actually what happened with this special representative.”
He went on to say Andrew has been “protected by diplomats” with “shocking” instances allegedly covered up over the years.
“I think he is taking money from various people in the Middle East and Central Asia,” he said.
“He’s been taking commissions off deals, he’s been doing that for 20 years.
“I know of several cases, diplomatic instances were hushed up of him trying to scrounge money off various rulers in the Middle East and elsewhere.
“The fact is, we know nothing about his finances, he operates through frontmen like [top adviser] Dominic Hampshire, the man who’s involved with this Chinese businessman, but he also disguises his identity in companies.
“He sets up a whole series of dormant companies, where he can disguise transactions through them. His ex wife [Sarah Ferguson] is exactly the same…
“I think there are a lot of big questions about where they’re earning their money.”
Mr Lownie – who is due to release a joint biography on the Yorks next year – said a “whole series” of measures need to be introduced to keep tabs on the royals’ income.