Prince Andrew ‘could be barred from walking to church with the Royal Family on Christmas morning as controversy rages over his alleged links to a ‘Chinese spy’.
The Duke of York’s appearance at the family’s annual Christmas Day walk from the church is thought to have been thrown into doubt over the latest scandal around his alleged links to the man, who can be named only as H6, according to The Mirror.
Prince Andrew, 64, has joined the rest of the family on the Christmas morning walk for the last two years since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, despite other controversies including his friendship with Jeffery Epstein.
But things could be different this year amid rumours that the King is furious that his brother has plunged the monarchy into a major scandal – with the alleged relationship tarnishing the reputation of the entire Royal Family.
A source, however, said that, despite his frustration with the Duke of York, Charles has accepted that he can’t ‘divorce or sack’ his younger brother, as ‘there will always be a bond of blood’.
Royal expert Jennie Bond told the Mirror that for ‘the sake of the monarchy’ the Duke ‘should spend [Christmas] away from Sandringham, out of the public eye’.
She added that he has ‘become a recurring embarrassment to the Royal Family’.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that a ‘close confidant’ of the Duke was an alleged Chinese spy who had been banned from entering the UK after an investigation by MI5.
Prince Andrew leaves after attending the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in December 2022
Prince Andrew with the alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from the United Kingdom
The Duke could find himself barred from the annual Christmas Day walk (pictured the Royal Family on their annual walk in December 2023)
The Duke of York (pictured) has said he ‘ceased all contact’ with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised about him
The alleged agent was so close to Andrew that he visited Buckingham Palace twice, and entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle. He was even authorised to act on Andrew’s behalf to seek investors in China.
MI5 discovered that the businessman, 50, was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was working for its shadowy United Front Work Department, which gathers intelligence.
When police stopped him at the UK border in 2021 it was discovered that he had a briefing document in which Andrew appeared to be described as being in a ‘desperate situation and will grab onto anything’.
The alleged spy, who is a businessman, has previously attended a meeting of the powerful Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. In a sign of his importance to China’s Communist Party, he was pictured on the front row of the meeting in the vast Great Hall of the People.
The businessman lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds.
He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023.
Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials ‘that could be leveraged for political interference purposes’.
They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Prince Andrew represented a threat to national security.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh leave the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church in December 2023
Known only as H6 for legal reasons, the 50-year-old businessman became a ‘close confidant’ to the eighth in line to the throne
The disgraced duke (pictured), 64, was urged to ‘be clear and honest’ amid calls for an inquiry into how the alleged Chinese agent had infiltrated the Royal Family
A statement from Prince Andrew’s office said: ‘The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.
‘The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.
‘He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.’
In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, upheld a ban on H6 from entering the country and said the Prince Andrew’s troubles had left him ‘vulnerable’ to exploitation.
It is the latest humiliation for Prince Andrew who is already a royal pariah after being forced to step back from palace duties following the Jeffrey Epstein paedophile scandal.
In February 2022, the former Royal Navy helicopter pilot settled a US civil case brought by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.
Andrew denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his honorary military titles and patronages soon afterwards, effectively shutting him out of royal life.
MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.