Andrew pulls out of Christmas lunch as Chinese ‘spy’ named
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah will miss the family lunch at Sandringham this year, as the alleged Chinese spy with whom he has been linked is named as Yang Tengbo.
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah will miss the royal family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham this year after the Duke of York was named as an associate of an alleged Chinese spy.
King Charles III is expected to host a large Christmas Day party at his estate in Sandringham, Norfolk, with about 70 members of his family. But Palace officials had urged Prince Andrew to “do the decent thing” and voluntarily withdraw from public view over Christmas.
The decision came as a High Court judge ruled that the alleged spy, whom the prince had invited to Buckingham Palace, could be named as Yang Tengbo.
Sources had suggested that the onus should be on the Duke of York to keep a low profile, rather than forcing the King to decide whether his brother should be banned from showing his face.
It is understood that Andrew was urged to “recognise his residual duty to the crown” by withdrawing from any public appearance alongside the family, including the walk to church on Christmas Day and a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace this week.
Last week a court revealed Andrew’s connection to the alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from Britain on the grounds of national security. The 50-year-old businessman visited Buckingham Palace twice as Andrew’s guest and attended events at St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle.
Andrew had been invited to join the wider royal family at the palace for the Christmas lunch this week. However, there was anxiety over how his public attendance could detract from the festivities. While sources close to the King maintain that his brother is “bound in blood” to the royal family, he will be discouraged from attending events where he will be seen joining them in public.
While Thursday’s lunch is private, arrivals are likely to be photographed. With this in mind, sources have advised that the duke should stay away or, at the very least, make a discreet arrival and departure away from the cameras.
The suspected spy, Tengbo, has been linked to more politicians, including an ex-cabinet minister. He was photographed with Brandon Lewis when Mr Lewis was Tory party chairman in 2018. There is no suggestion that Mr Lewis, a former lord chancellor, has done anything wrong.
“I am unaware of the identity of H6 and have never carried out any business relationship with China in my government role or in a personal capacity. As party chairman, I attended a large number of functions at which there were a variety of guests and if H6 and I were attending the same event this was coincidence only,” Mr Lewis said.
As well as being photographed with two former prime ministers, Theresa May and David Cameron, Tengbo travelled with John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister who died last month, on a delegation to China in 2010.
Calls are growing for transparency over Andrew’s trade envoy role and for the name of the alleged spy to be made public. Labour peer George Foulkes, a member of the intelligence and security committee during Andrew’s time as a trade envoy, said: “He took several trips to China on behalf of the government and would have been introduced to senior government and business figures. In the light of recent revelations, it becomes even more urgent for his relationships with Chinese officials to be examined in detail.”
Andrew has denied wrongdoing and said he ceased all contact with Tengbo after receiving advice from the government.
Buckingham Palace staff are understood to be investigating the dates that Tengbo entered the palace and other royal buildings.
It is thought that the alleged spy, whose attempt to appeal against a ban on entering the UK was rejected, could be named this week. If an anonymity order is not overturned, Nigel Farage has said that his Reform UK party is prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name the Chinese businessman.
Home Office Minister Angela Eagle said the alleged spy posed a threat, “especially in his relationship with Prince Andrew”.
the Times
More Coverage
Brain slower than internet
We process information very slowly – but our senses are much faster, researchers say.
‘All is calm’: How Christmas carol services could reduce your stress
Science suggests the love, joy and nostalgia of singing at evensong can leave those who attend carol services less stressed and ‘significantly more tranquil’ than when they entered.