The Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t going to affix the Royal Household at its conventional pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, it’s understood.

William and Kate are already in Norfolk, as had been deliberate, and are trying ahead to spending time with the remainder of the Royal Household at Sandringham over Christmas, a royal supply mentioned.

The Buckingham Palace lunch is a non-public occasion for senior royals and their wider household who will not be on the Christmas celebrations on the King’s Norfolk dwelling.

Prince Andrew determined to not attend the gathering after talking to his ex-wife and shut buddy Sarah, Duchess of York, in accordance with a supply, amid persevering with hypothesis over his hyperlinks to an alleged Chinese language spy.

The King’s brother had already withdrawn from becoming a member of senior royals at Sandringham for the festive interval.

Businessman Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK, was named on the Excessive Court docket as a “shut” confidant of Andrew after an anonymity order was lifted on Monday.

He has denied being concerned in espionage and mentioned he has “carried out nothing mistaken or illegal”.

Mr Yang helped arrange the Chinese language arm of the Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace initiative, and twice visited Buckingham Palace in 2018 to fulfill with the late Queen’s second son.

He’s additionally mentioned to have entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Fort at Andrew’s invitation.

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Final Friday, earlier than the businessman was named, the duke’s workplace mentioned Andrew “ceased all contact” with him when considerations have been first raised about him.

Andrew met Mr Yang by “official channels” with “nothing of a delicate nature ever mentioned”, an announcement mentioned.

The duke, now 64, has disappeared from public life since stepping down from official duties in 2019 following the furore over his friendship with convicted US intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.