King Charles “cannot afford another royal scandal” amid the storm surrounding Prince Andrew, a commentator has told GB News.
The Duke of York, who stepped down as a working royal five years ago, will not spend Christmas with the Royal Family in 2024 due to the ongoing “Chinese spy” controversy.
Yang Tengbo, previously referred to as H6 for legal reasons, was a “close confidante” of the Duke of York but has since been banned from entering the UK due to allegations that he is a Chinese spy.
In a rare statement, Prince Andrew said he “ceased all contact” with Yang after following the Government’s advice.
King Charles ‘cannot afford another royal scandal’ amid ongoing Prince Andrew chaos
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Yang has also strenuously denied the allegations of espionage and any wrongdoing.
As Prince Andrew will not be spending Christmas in Sandringham, he is thought to be staying with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The former couple continue cohabitating in the 30-room property, despite divorcing in 1996.
King Charles, 76, was keen to persuade his younger brother to “downsize” and vacate Royal Lodge earlier this year, as it requires a heavy and expensive security presence.
Prince Andrew has pulled out of Christmas with the Royal Family amid the ‘Chinese spy’ controversy
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The monarch eventually stripped Prince Andrew of his reported £1million-a-year allowance in an effort to speed up the process.
Prince Andrew later found the funds to enable him to stay at Royal Lodge and afford its security and upkeep.
However, the Duke of York did not confirm where the funds were coming from.
Robin Edwards, a property buying agent at Curetons, spoke exclusively to GB News about the ongoing scandal.
Prince Andrew has acquired the funds to stay in Royal Lodge but has not confirmed where the money is coming from
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He said: “The King instructed the Keeper of the Privy Purse to cut off his younger brother’s allowance of around £1million a year and also no longer pay for his security detail, allegedly in an effort to force Andrew out of Royal Lodge.
“Therefore, it’s rather a mystery where exactly the money has come from for the Duke of York to maintain living there.
“Apart from a small navy pension, the source of Prince Andrews’s income is not known.
“Before his fall from grace after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Andrew was the Patron of the Middle East Association and also a Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment.
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Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 following the fallout from his Newsnight interview
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“Now he is no longer a ‘working royal’, his business activities are less well known.”
Edwards continued: “He must come clean to the King about the mystery benefactor who is financing him and thus allowing him to stay at Royal Lodge.
“The Royal Family cannot afford another scandal, particularly when it comes to the Duke of York.”
