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Ferguson urged Andrew to skip Sandringham this year
The Independent
|December 19, 2024
Prince Andrew was persuaded by Sarah Ferguson not to join the royal family at Sandringham on Christmas Day, sparing the Windsors’ further embarrassment amid allegations of his close friendship with an alleged Chinese spy.
The Duke of York is at the centre of fresh controversy after Yang Tengbo, one of his former confidants, was barred from the UK for “covert and deceptive activity”.
The Chinese businessman, named on Monday after a judge lifted a court order, is said to have leveraged his friendship with Andrew to gain access to Buckingham Palace.
In the wake of the revelations, the duke had faced calls to withdraw from a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace today and to avoid appearing with the royal family at Sandringham next week.
It is understood that his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, convinced him to step away from the celebrations, giving up her own chance to return to Sandringham for Christmas again having spent many years out of the royal fold.
This story is from the December 19, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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