Sarah Ferguson will miss Christmas tradition because of Chinese spy scandal surrounding Prince Andrew

Sarah Ferguson had only just found her place in The Firm, but it seems the Duchess of York’s fierce loyalty to Prince Andrew has rocked the royal boat once again.

Sarah, 65, who joined the royal family for the first time since 1992 last year for Christmas at Sandringham, has been forced to pull out of this year’s celebrations after Andrew’s links to an alleged Chinese spy came to light.

Earlier this week it was revealed that a ‘close confidant’ of the duke, 64, was an alleged Chinese spy – today named Yang Tengbo – who had been banned from entering Britain following an investigation by MI5, with King Charles saying that ‘furious ‘ are.

In the wake of the scandal, the beleaguered Duke has agreed to skip the annual Christmas festivities at the Norfolk estate, following advice from his loyal ex-wife Sarah, known as Fergie.

The Duchess is believed to have come to the royal family’s aid after King Charles and Queen Camilla privately expressed their wish for Andrew to “see sense” and skip the public meeting next week – as the Chinese spy controversy continues.

In another heartbreaking show of solidarity with her ex-husband, Fergie has also agreed to skip the festivities – albeit with a heavy heart as the mother-of-two had only recently been welcomed back to Sandringham.

Fergie beamed as she joined the royals for their annual Christmas walk for the first time in 30 years last December – following the couple’s high-profile divorce in 1996.

Following her infamous toe-sucking scandal in 1992, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugene’s mother were banned from attending the royal occasion by Prince Philip.

But King Charles softened that approach last year and invited her to join the family at Sandringham for the first time in decades, even though she did not attend church.

However, she was one of the stars of last year’s walkabout, when the Duchess accepted bouquets of flowers from sympathizers along the road outside St Mary Magdalene Church.

Fergie, who was dressed in a stunning emerald coat, appeared in good spirits as she laughed and joked with onlookers during last year’s walk – seen as a sign of Andrew and Sarah’s gradual rehabilitation within the monarchy.

Prince Andrew’s latest controversy – following the intensive investigation into his connection with Epstein – has thrown a spanner in the works, as Fergie is once again left out in the cold.

It’s a sacrifice she appears to be willing to make for the greater good of the royal family, with Fergie recently admitting in an interview with The Sunday Times that she wished she could do ‘more’ for Queen Camilla.

Speaking about her relationship with the Queen, Fergie said: ‘Queen Camilla was good friends with mum, that’s why we’re so close now. That’s why it’s so big that the queen and I get along now.

“It’s kind of fun, and she reminds me of Mom.” I admire the extraordinary support she is giving to this country. I want to do as much as I can for the queen. I wish they would ask me to do more.”

Sarah also vowed not to abandon Andrew in the interview which was conducted before the disgraced royal links with Mr Tengbo were exposed.

Tengbo – who denies being a spy or doing anything illegal – was so close to Andrew that he visited Buckingham Palace twice and entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle.

He was even authorized to act on Andrew’s behalf to seek investors in China.

Ahead of the latest allegations against Andrew, Sarah showed her undying support for her ex-husband, revealing that she is currently caring for him and “will not abandon him.”

In the joint interview with her sister Jane, she confessed: ‘When Jane left for Australia, I became an informal caregiver for Dad. I had to take care of a sad man, and that’s kind of what I’m doing now.”

Reflecting on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey in 1986, Sarah said the love that existed between them then ‘is still with us’, adding: ‘I won’t let him down.

“He supports me as much as I support him. He has supported me through thick and thin, not just through marriage or divorce. We agree on the three Cs: communication, compromise, compassion.”

Sarah’s devotion to Andrew will be tested again amid scrutiny into his dealings with Mr Tengbo, after MI5 discovered the 50-year-old businessman was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and worked for the shadowy United Front Work Department. that collects intelligence.

When police stopped him at the UK border in 2021, it was discovered that he had a briefing document which appeared to describe Andrew as someone who was in a ‘desperate situation and would grab onto anything’.

The alleged spy previously attended a meeting of the powerful Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing.

As a sign of his importance to the Chinese Communist Party, he was pictured in the front row of the meeting in the vast Great Hall of the People.

Mr Tengbo recently lost an appeal over a decision to ban him from entering Britain on national security grounds.

He took a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then Home Secretary Suella Braverman said he should be barred from Britain in March 2023.

Judges were told that officials alleged in a briefing for the Home Secretary in July 2023 that Mr Tengbo (previously referred to only as ‘H6’) had been in a position to broker relationships between prominent British figures and senior Chinese officials ‘that can be used’. for purposes of political interference’.

They also said Tengbo had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Prince Andrew, posed a threat to national security.

A statement from Prince Andrew’s office said: ‘The Duke of York followed the advice of His Majesty’s Government and ended all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.

‘The Duke met the individual through official channels and nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed.

“He cannot comment further on matters relating to national security.”

Fergie has remained steadfastly by Prince Andrew’s side in the wake of the Epstein scandal that turned him into a royal pariah.

The duke stepped down from royal duties at the end of 2019 after public outrage over a BBC television interview in which he defended his friendship with Epstein.

In February 2022, the former Royal Navy helicopter pilot settled a US civil case brought by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

Andrew denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

Queen Elizabeth II soon afterwards stripped him of his honorary military titles and patronages, effectively excluding him from royal life.