Meghan And Harry Aren't The Only Royal Family Rejects For This Year's Christmas Celebrations

While it was previously reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were axed from the royal family Christmas celebrations in 2024, it seems that Prince Andrew and his family are also not joining the royals for holiday festivities. According to the Daily Mail, Prince Andrew declined the royal invitation for the yearly get-together in Sandringham by choice after his brother, King Charles, inferred that he did not want Andrew around for the holidays. Andrew's former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also not be present for the royal Christmas celebration, nor their children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — the family will instead spend the holiday at the Royal Lodge.

Sources close to King Charles have informed the outlet that the King did not want to disinvite his brother from the festivities but was hopeful that Prince Andrew would get the hint and make the decision on his own to not be in attendance during the Christmas celebration. Andrew will never make a comeback under King Charles' reign because he has caused the latter much grief in the past, like when Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor. However, the recent accusations that Andrew associated with an alleged Chinese spy may be the true reason why his presence at Christmastime is unwanted.

Yang Tengbo, who has been accused of being a Chinese spy, reportedly had a close friendship with Prince Andrew. Tengbo is accused of having active ties with the Chinese Communist Party and was banned from the UK in 2023. According to BBC, Prince Andrew cut all ties with Tengbo after being urged to by government officials, but Tengo was allegedly able to "generate relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese State." In an official statement, Tengbo disclosed that he decided to reveal his name to the public, and he claimed innocence. "I have done nothing wrong or unlawful, and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded," Tengbo stated (via Daily Mail). "The widespread description of me as a 'spy' is entirely untrue."

Despite Andrew ceasing to continue communication with Tengbo and the latter maintaining their innocence amidst these accusations, it seems as though the royal family is very uncomfortable regarding the alleged friendship and is shutting Prince Andrew out even further. Andrew attended the royal Christmas celebrations in 2023, but in 2024, he will be spending time with his immediate family at his home within the Windsor Castle estate. After Meghan and Harry's lack of invitation and now Andrew's voluntary absence, it seems the royals are keeping Christmastime more exclusive than usual.