<p id=”par-1_65″>No more royal events for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-andrew/”>Prince Andrew</a>. The Duke of York, 64, is once again at the center of a scandal, and commentators and insiders say it’s simply too much for the British royal family. They’re reportedly done<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-louis-kept-sweetest-secret-kate-middletons-carol-service-princess-charlotte.html/”> being seen with</a> Andrew publicly. Ahead, details on the allegations surrounding Andrew’s relationship with an alleged Chinese spy and why it’s the “final nail in his coffin.” </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-prince-andrew-s-under-fire-for-his-association-with-an-alleged-chinese-spy”>Prince Andrew’s under fire for his association with an alleged Chinese spy</h2>
<p id=”par-2_61″>First the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and Andrew’s widely panned <em>Newsnight</em> interview, then the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/king-charles-makes-peace-offering-prince-andrew-royal-lodge-dispute-continues.html/”>Royal Lodge drama</a>, and now a spy scandal. The third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is back in the news for being connected to Yang Tengbo, an alleged Chinese spy. Tengbo was banned from Britain in part for his secret relationship with Andrew (via <a href=”https://www.newsweek.com/king-charles-prince-andrew-chinese-spy-yang-tengbo-2001392″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Newsweek</a>). </p>
<p id=”par-3_30″>The businessman is said to have visited Andrew at Buckingham Palace twice in 2018. He’s also said to have gone to St. James’s Palace and Windsor Castle at Andrew’s invitation. </p>
<p id=”par-4_30″>Andrew’s since released a statement from his office in which he said he’d cut ties with Tengbo on “advice” of officials. Meanwhile, Tengbo’s said he’s “done nothing wrong or unlawful.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-insider-says-andrew-s-done-making-public-appearances-with-the-rest-of-the-royal-family-nbsp”>Insider says Andrew’s done making public appearances with the rest of the royal family </h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image aligncenter size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prince-Andrew-who-may-never-be-seen-again-with-members-of-the-British-royal-family-publicly-attends-a-memorial-service-with-fellow-royals.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Prince Andrew, who may never be seen again with members of the British royal family publicly, attends a memorial service with fellow royals” class=”wp-image-3753711″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Prince Andrew and British royals | Andrew Matthews – WPA Pool/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-5_68″>Speaking to the<a href=”https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-14199347/Prince-Andrew-miss-Royal-Family-Christmas-King-Charles.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”> Daily Mail</a>, a source suggested the spy scandal is the final straw in Andrew’s public appearances alongside his fellow royals. “I find it hard to imagine he will ever join them again in public, if I’m honest,” the insider said. “There’s only so many times the duke can be asked to keep his head down and wait for the storm to pass. Enough is enough.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_62″>Royal author Phil Dampier echoed the comments, telling <a href=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/32344430/prince-andrew-chinese-spy-final-nail/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Sun</a> the “big scandal” just might be the “final nail” for Andrew. “The fact that this guy obviously inveigled himself into Prince Andrew’s circle, and was seemingly in and out of Royal Lodge…is a worry for the security services. Who knows what [a spy] might stumble across? It is a very big scandal.” </p>
<p id=”par-7_52″>“Certainly the problem for Andrew is that on top of this scandal,” Dampier continued, “he was involved with the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. It’s not a very good look. It’s backfired on him dramatically. And on top of the Epstein thing, it’s kind of a final nail in his coffin, really.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_27″>Andrew’s number of public appearances dwindled in the years after his 2019 Newsnight interview about Epstein. (It’s since been made into Netflix and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/brokenhearted-princess-beatrice-avoiding-dad-prince-andrew-amid-a-very-royal-scandal.html/”>Amazon Prime original movies</a>.) </p>
<p id=”par-9_37″>However, he’s occasionally stepped <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-andrew-flexed-authority-leading-british-royals-memorial-body-language-expert.html/”>back into the royal spotlight</a>, namely for major holidays, the king’s coronation, and funerals. Andrew remains a non-working royal after being stripped of his patronages following his connection to Epstein and subsequent lawsuit. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-prince-andrew-s-skipping-the-royal-family-s-christmas-festivities”>Prince Andrew’s skipping the royal family’s Christmas festivities</h2>
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<iframe title=”Prince Andrew Won’t Join Royal Family for Christmas at Sandringham” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/qeHV-sYukDY?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-10_42″>Not being seen with his fellow British royals starts now for Andrew. He reportedly won’t be at the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/queen-camillas-ongoing-pneumonia-recovery-mean-king-charles-skip-1-big-royal-christmas-tradition.html/”>royal family’s Christmas festivities</a>, which included a big party at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 19, 2024, ahead of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations. </p>
<p id=”par-11_38″>The palace reportedly had a “clear ‘working assumption,’” per the outlet, that Andrew would quietly back out of the festivities. Furthermore, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/king-charles/”>King Charles III</a> hoped his younger brother would “‘see sense’ and stay away” amid the spy scandal. </p>
<p id=”par-12_25″>He—and Queen Camilla—also counted on Sarah Ferguson, the duke’s ex-wife, to “‘talk some sense’” into him. She reportedly did and her role proved hugely instrumental.</p>
<p id=”par-13_27″>Ferguson and Andrew are staying away from <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/problem-potential-christmas-sandringham-invite-kate-middletons-parents.html/”>the Sandringham estate</a> in Norfolk, England this Christmas. Instead, they’ll celebrate the holiday at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, England. </p>
<p id=”par-14_19″>Meanwhile, their daughters, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/princess-beatrice/”>Princess Beatrice</a>, 36, and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/princess-eugenie/”>Princess Eugenie</a>, 34, are said to be celebrating with their respective in-laws. </p>