The royal family’s Christmas Day walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene church in Norfolk is a longstanding tradition. But it has also become a barometer of internal pressures.
So, all eyes will be on whether the Duke of York is among family members walking alongside the king and queen this Christmas after the alleged Chinese spy controversy.
Royal sources have reportedly revealed Charles is still considering the optics, and whether or not to ban his younger brother from this very public part of the royals’ festivities, which attracts crowds of wellwishers.
After the Jeffrey Epstein scandal broke, though Andrew did not walk with the others to the 11am service in 2019, he was photographed walking side-by-side with Charles to a private 9am service. It was clear acknowledgement of his family’s firm support after his catastrophic Newsnight interview, and that while no longer having a public profile he very much retained his position as a senior member of the family.
He has been included since Charles’s 2022 accession. His exclusion this year, therefore, “would be confirmation that the relationship between the two had soured”, said Craig Prescott, author of Modern Monarchy, out in 2025, and a lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London. “That would be a clear sign of Charles, at least, wanting to try and diminish the issue.”
News, released in court documents last week, that an alleged Chinese spy, now banned from the UK, formed links at the heart of the British establishment and previously became close to Andrew, has thrown the spotlight on the duke’s two main vulnerabilities: judgment – or lack of it – and finances.
In a rare statement, issued through his office, Andrew has insisted he “ceased all contact” with the alleged spy, known as H6, after concerns were raised, and that “nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed”. According to the court documents, H6 was told he could act on Andrew’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.
The problem the institution faces is what to do with Andrew, now and in the future.
Since the Epstein scandal, the duke’s car-crash Newsnight interview, and his out-of-court settlement, despite his denial of any wrongdoing, to Virginia Giuffre, he has lost his HRH status, his patronages and, recently, financial support from the king.
He no longer has the institutional support of the monarchy and its advisers – although history shows he often ignores advice. He receives nothing from the sovereign grant. It is not known what he may have inherited from the late queen, or his father, the Duke of Edinburgh.
“His finances have always been a mystery in many ways,” said Prescott. “Just where does he get the money from to live in the manner to which he has become accustomed?”
This includes the estimated £3m annual security bill for his 30-room home, Royal Lodge, Windsor, which he leases from the Crown Estate, and its upkeep, having reportedly turned down a request from Charles to move to the five-bedroomed Frogmore Cottage, the former marital home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Buckingham Palace insists it no longer speaks for Andrew, as he is a non-working royal. Indeed, the palace is reportedly unable to exert any control over how the duke funds his lifestyle. Officials are said to have concluded they have no authority or legal right to examine his financial affairs and must simply rely on his word that his income is from legitimate sources.
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“It’s very difficult to work out just what someone like Prince Andrew can do,” said Prescott. “He’ll continue to have this need for money and will always be on the hunt of it, you would imagine.
“The king has tried. He’s offered him a soft landing of Frognore Cottage, which would have reduced his security, reduced his running costs, reduced, you imagine, his need for money.”
Now virtually a prisoner at Royal Lodge, one solution Andrew may be contemplating is moving abroad, according to reports.
Sources close to the government of the United Arab Emirates claim the duke is considering a permanent move to the Gulf, where his royal status would still confer a degree of respect, according to the Sunday Times. This would likely further alarm the royal family.
One of Andrew’s blind spots appears to be his vulnerability. In a document, referred to in a court ruling, the unnamed Chinese business contact described the prince as being “in a desperate situation and will grab on to anything”.
“The alarm bells didn’t ring for him,” said Prescott. “He could ultimately have been put in a very, very compromised position had MI5 not raised the alarm, ultimately.”
