The King has reportedly told Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, that they will not be invited to the royal family’s Christmas celebrations this year.
The pair, who divorced nearly 30 years ago, will reportedly be kept at arm's length from the rest of the royals after it emerged that Sarah sent a grovelling apology to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein shortly after publicly denouncing him in 2011.
According to The Tines, King Charles has made it clear he expects the couple to remain "invisible" at future royal events,
King Charles also reportedly asked Sarah to help persuade Prince Andrew not to attend last year’s Christmas gathering, following press claims linking him to alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
A royal insider said: "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 and the family would not be disappointed, not least to avoid the King having to make any more difficult decisions.”
Prince Andrew and Sarah spent last Christmas together at their home at Royal Lodge, but were not joined by their daughters, Princesses Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35.
Sarah's email to Jeffrey Epstein on April 26, 2011, was written after she had publicly denounced him following his conviction for child sexual abuse. Friends of the Duchess say Epstein had made threats and that she was under “huge” pressure when she sent the message.
The Duchess wrote: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me.
“And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.
“You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
She went on to say: “I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed.
“I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you.
“And if I did — I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost.
“So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.”
Following the emergence of the email last weekend, Sarah has been dropped by a string of charities, including The Teenage Cancer Trust after 35 years as patron.
Her friends say she is "devastated for any embarrassment" caused to the royals by the latest revelations and "will explain herself to the wider royal family in due course".
Sources close to the King say he would prefer the couple to remain unseen at family occasions and use alternative doorways where possible.
Their last major public appearance was at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral on Thursday, September 16, attended by the King.
Andrew made an attempt at conversation with his nephew, the Prince of Wales, 43, who appeared to keep his distance. The prince is said to consider the Yorks to be high risk for the future of the royals and supports his father's firm stance.
An insider said: “The King is not of the mind to banish someone worshipping at church or attending family occasions like a funeral. But he would hope they would find a more discreet way of attending these events. In the Duke of York’s case, he seems to relish the prospect of not being low-key about it.”
King Charles and Prince William are spending the weekend in Scotland, where they are believed to be planning their response to the latest revelations about the Yorks.
It is thought the King’s order will have hit the Duchess of York particularly hard, after she was brought into the fold following his accession in 2022. She attended royal Christmas gatherings at Sandringham in 2022 and 2023 after decades in the cold.
