Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will not be joining the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas dinner this year amid ongoing scrutiny over the Duke of York’s ties to an alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo.
The Duke of York’s decision to skip the holiday gathering follows revelations about his association with Tengbo, who had previously been under an anonymity order but was revealed as a security threat by MI5 last week.
According to officials, Tengbo, who had been invited to events like Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020, had developed relationships with top UK figures over the past 15 years, including former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.
In response to growing concerns, Prince Andrew confirmed he had severed all ties with Tengbo, following official advice. In a statement, the Duke insisted that no sensitive matters had been discussed during their interactions.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to national security and declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation.
Yang, who has also been known as Chris Yang and Tengbo Yang, was banned from entering the UK in 2023 due to concerns about his involvement in political interference.
MI5 discovered troubling information on his phone, leading to suspicions of espionage. Despite the allegations, Yang denied being a spy, asserting that the claims were “entirely untrue” and that he had never engaged in any unlawful activity.
Yang’s legal team has also pushed back against the media coverage surrounding his relationship with Prince Andrew, emphasising the speculation over his identity and role.
His lawyer, Guy Vassall-Adams, argued that the media had exaggerated the nature of the connection between Yang and the Duke.
While the focus of the story has largely been on Prince Andrew, former officials have pointed out that the true concern lies in the broader issue of Chinese influence operations within the UK.
Iain Duncan Smith, former Conservative leader, suggested that the United Front Work Department, which aims to foster ties with influential figures globally, could have significantly more operatives attempting to influence various sectors, including politics, academia, and journalism.
This controversy has prompted further calls for transparency, with figures like Nigel Farage pushing for Yang’s anonymity to be lifted.
In an interview, Tom Tugendhat, former security minister, stressed that the issue is larger than Prince Andrew’s involvement, underscoring the potential threat posed by foreign influence operations.
