Unless you've been living under a rock for the past five or so years, you're probably well aware that Prince Andrew doesn't have a great track record when it comes to friendships (see: Jeffrey Epstein). However, the disgraced Duke of York is in hot water yet again after it's been revealed that he has strong ties to a suspected Chinese spy. Now, it seems that King Charles—who previously extended an "olive branch" to his brother—might be snatching that branch back for the holidays.
According to the Times, The King "could now ban his brother from joining the rest of his family walking to church at Sandringham on Christmas Day" given the recent news about his brother's friendship with businessman Yang Tengbo.
Tengbo, who worked closely with the Duke of York over the years, was recently banned from the U.K. and lost an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. The BBC reported that "the businessman was attempting to leverage Prince Andrew's influence," continuing that the "alleged Chinese spy" had an "unusual degree of trust" with Prince Andrew.
A judge in the ruling suggested that the Duke of York was "under considerable pressure" at the time, which "could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence."
Although it should be made clear that Prince Andrew hasn't been accused of doing anything illegal, the situation is another example of The King being forced to deal with a scandal regarding his brother. “His Majesty’s patience is wearing thin," a royal insider told the Daily Beast. "He has stood by Andrew for many years, but everyone has their limits."
The source added, "I can’t see the king wanting to walk to church with someone who was friends with a Chinese spy.”
The Royal Family walks to church on the Sandringham estate each year, greeting members of the public who gather to see the royals on Christmas Day. After his association with Epstein (and disastrous BBC Newsnight interview), the Duke of York was excluded from walking with the family. But once King Charles took the throne in 2022, he allowed his brother to join the tradition once again.
Now numerous royal experts have come out suggesting the Duke of York should spare himself the embarrassment and stay home at Royal Lodge. According to the Daily Mail, The King "is said to want his younger brother to make his own decision to step aside from public appearances" rather than "axe him" from the Christmas traditions himself.
However, “Andrew is finished," a source close to The King told the Daily Beast. "You would have thought it would be hard to find a way to make things worse but somehow he has managed it.”
As for Andrew's participation this year, "The King is understood to have not yet made his decision about Christmas Day, and is likely to take the latest revelations into account," the Times reported.
