The latest scandal to hit the royal circles is the recent revelation that Prince Andrew was friends with Yang Tembo, an alleged “Chinese spy.” The question on everyone's lips these days is whether the Duke of York will still attend Christmas at Sandringham. And amid the news that he has pulled out of the festivities, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson was reportedly “instrumental” in convincing Andrew to stay home.

“It is understood that the King and Queen were quietly hoping that the Duchess of York would come to their rescue and ‘muscle’ her ex-husband into being one of the few people who still had his ear,” the Daily Mail reported on December 16. The Daily Mail reported on December 16 that “King Charles is said to have not wanted to ‘exclude’ his brother from the royal family celebrations, and the king was reportedly waiting for the Duke of York to decide to stay at the Royal Lodge.

The Duchess of York apparently accepted. According to the paper, Prince Andrew's friends say she was really instrumental in the prince's decision to avoid Sandringham this year.

Ingrid Sward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, agreed that Ferguson, who recently told The Sunday Times that she “supports” her ex-husband through thick and thin, “has had a huge impact on Andrew. As for the Duke of York's absence from the Royal Family's Christmas gathering, she told the Sun, “I feel Ferguson's hand in this.”

“He listens to her,” the royal editor added. She would say, 'I can't do this to my brother.'”

A royal source told the Daily Mail that Andrew's latest scandal has probably sealed the fate of the Duke and the royal family. 'To be honest, it's hard to imagine him joining the royal family in public again. 'How often the Duke is told to keep his head down and wait for the storm to pass. Enough is enough.”

The Duke and Duchess' daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, are also skipping this year's royal Christmas. According to “Hello! reports that the Yorks “decided earlier this year that Beatrice and Eugenie would spend the Christmas period with their respective in-laws for the first time since their marriage.”

Andrew's holiday plans at the Royal Lodge appear to be set, but the event that is up in the air is the King's annual Christmas lunch on Thursday, December 19. According to the Daily Mail, no final decision has yet been made, but “there was a clear ‘assumption’ at the palace that the Duke of York would miss the party.”

However, other sources claim that Prince Andrew still plans to attend the festive Buckingham Palace luncheon. A royal source told The Sun, “Andrew has told his friends that he should attend because it's his family. It's a family event, so shouldn't he go?” And.

Seward added, “Andrew can still go to Buckingham Palace for lunch and not be seen driving in and out.” Watch this space for more on whether we will see Lord York on Thursday.