The Duke and Duchess of York will nit be welcome at this year’s Christmas celebrations with the King, royal sources have said(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
The King has indicated that Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, will not be welcomed at the Royal Family’s customary Christmas gatherings.
Sources close to King Charles revealed he wished to maintain distance from them following recent revelations that the duchess had maintained contact with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after publicly condemning him in 2011.
The source informed the Sunday Times: “You can’t sack someone from being your brother. But this year, if the duke and duchess were both to be as honourable [as last year], it would be very much for the best.”
The Prince of Wales is backing this decision, reportedly feeling exasperated and worried about the Yorks’ conduct creating lasting damage to the Royal family’s reputation.
Prince William is growing frustrated with Andrew and Fergie’s impact on the Royal Family’s reputation(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The King has also expressed his preference for them to adopt an “out of sight, out of mind” strategy for any forthcoming family events the Yorks might attend, reports the Mirror.
Eyebrows were raised earlier this month when the pair made a conspicuous arrival alongside the rest of the Royal family at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral.
Following the service, Andrew was photographed attempting to engage in casual conversation with the Prince of Wales, who disregarded his uncle.
The King has also made it plain that he would prefer the couple, who divorced in 1996, to remain “invisible” at future family gatherings, by using discrete entrances for their arrivals and departures wherever feasible. Last Christmas, Andrew was absent due to his connections with alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson announcing their engagement at Buckingham Palace, London. 19th March 1986(Image: Mirrorpix)
After witnessing the King’s recent reconciliation with his younger son, Prince Andrew may have hoped for a similar spirit of forgiveness.
However, it seems that Charles’s tolerance for the past actions of the Duke of York and his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, which continue to cast a shadow over the monarchy, has reached its limit. Friends of the duchess stated yesterday that she was “devastated for any embarrassment” caused and would “explain herself to the wider royal family in due course”.
It came to light last week that the duchess had emailed Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted paedophile, referring to him as a “supreme friend” and apologising for having publicly criticised him.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson continued their relationship with Epstein after his conviction(Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publis)
In a March 2011 interview, Sarah admitted to making a “terrible, terrible error of judgment” by accepting £15,000 from Epstein, stating: “I abhor paedophilia.”
However, it was revealed last weekend that she had sent Epstein an email a few weeks later, apologising for her public criticism of him and calling him her “steadfast, generous and supreme friend”.
The duchess wrote: “As you know I did not, absolutely not, say the P [paedophile] word about you … I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.”
Virginia Giuffre, now deceased, claimed she had sex with Andrew at Epstein’s request. The Prince has consistently and strongly denied her allegations.