Prince Andrew pulls out of royal Christmas celebrations amid Chinese spy scandal
Share:
Alleged spy became close confidant of Duke of York is latest in a string of scandals involving prince. Prince Andrew will not be joining his family at Sandringham on Christmas Day, saving the royals further embarrassment amid claims he was good friends with an alleged Chinese spy.
![[Andrew with Yang Tengbo, who is barred from the UK]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/15/Front1.jpg)
The Duke of York has been embroiled in yet another controversy as one of his former close confidants Yang Tengbo has been barred from the country on the grounds he was considered to have engaged in “covert and deceptive activity”. The Chinese businessman, who was named on Monday after a judge lifted a court order, is said to have used his close friendship with the royal to secure invitations to Buckingham Palace. He also met former prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.
Following the reports, the duke had been urged to withdraw from a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Thursday and also avoid being seen with his family in Sandringham on Christmas Day next week. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie had already planned to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws this year for the first time.
The duke has been mentioned in court proceedings involving the alleged spy, whose appeal of his exclusion from Britain was dismissed by a specialist tribunal last Thursday. Now named as Yang Tengbo, the 50-year-old director of a Chinese investment consultancy firm was barred from the UK in 2023 after it was deemed he would likely pose a threat to national security.
