Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh were reportedly 'unhappy' with the idea of sharing Wood Farm cottage with Prince Andrew during the Royal Family's upcoming Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.
According to a source, the couple was uneasy about spending the festive period “cheek by jowl with the Yorks,” referring to Prince Andrew and his family, in a space previously used as a private retreat by Prince Philip.
The tension was eased, however, when Prince Andrew opted to withdraw from the royal holiday plans amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his alleged connections to Chinese "spy" Yang Tengbo.
Andrew will instead spend the holiday at Windsor with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has described herself as caring for a "sad man."
Sources suggest that Sarah encouraged Andrew to stay away from the royal gathering, a decision that ultimately led to his absence from Sandringham.
Initially, it was believed that Andrew’s absence was made easier by the fact that his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, were planning to spend Christmas with their in-laws instead of at Sandringham.
However, Princess Beatrice has since reversed her decision and will join King Charles at Sandringham following medical advice not to travel abroad.
Last year, Edward and Sophie were reportedly unhappy with their accommodations at Sandringham, which they felt were less than ideal, leading to ongoing dissatisfaction with their royal placement.
The couple was said to be "relieved" by Andrew’s decision to skip the festivities this year.
Andrew also withdrew from other royal events, including a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, as he faces increasing scrutiny over his alleged connections to Yang Tengbo, with investigations underway regarding his interactions with the alleged spy at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor.
