Prince Andrew pulls out of royal family's pre-Christmas lunch amid Chinese spy row

The Duke of York attending the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in 2022. Credit: PA

Prince Andrew has pulled out of the royal family's traditional pre-Christmas lunch, meaning he will not attend any royal Christmas celebrations this year.

The Duke of York continues to be dogged by the fallout of his links to an alleged Chinese spy being made public.

He reportedly decided not to attend Thursday's gathering at Buckingham Palace after speaking to his ex-wife and close friend, Sarah, Duchess of York.

It had already been confirmed the prince would not attend the royal family's Christmas Day celebrations at Sandringham.

The Buckingham Palace lunch is a private event for senior royals and the wider family who will not be attending festive celebrations at King Charles's Sandringham estate.

Sources say the Duke made the decision not to attend the Buckingham Palace lunch on the advice of his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. Credit: PA

Earlier this week, it was revealed in a High Court hearing that alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK, was said to have been a "close" confidante of Andrew.

The businessman was the founder-partner of the Chinese arm of the duke's Pitch@Palace initiative, and twice visited Buckingham Palace in 2018 to meet the prince. He is also said to have entered St James's Palace and Windsor Castle at Andrew's invitation.

Mr Yang, whose name was released after an anonymity order was lifted on Monday, has insisted it was "entirely untrue" that he was involved in espionage, and maintains that he has "done nothing wrong or unlawful".

Prince Andrew has said that he had ceased contact with Mr Yang when concerns were first raised about him.

Prince Andrew has said he "ceased all contact" with Yang Tengbo after receiving advice from the government. Credit: YouTube / Pitch@Palace

The duke has largely disappeared from public life since stepping down from official duties in 2019, when he faced furore over his friendship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

He no longer attends Trooping the Colour, Remembrance Sunday commemorations at the Cenotaph, or the annual Commonwealth Day service.

But Prince Andrew had carried on joining the royal family for Christmas Day, and last year walked from Sandringham House to church with the other royals, which was seen as symbolic of his gradual rehabilitation within the family.

The prince's absence this year means he will not be in the photographs of the royal family going to church on Christmas morning.

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