Prince Andrew urged to 'uninvite himself' from major event with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Royal insiders suggest Andrew should step aside to spare King Charles from making a difficult decision about his brother's attendance at the festive gatherings.

The duke is currently expected to join more than 50 members of the extended Royal Family at Buckingham Palace for Thursday's annual Christmas lunch.

He is also due to participate in the traditional walk from Sandringham to St Magdalene Church on Christmas Day, alongside his ex-wife and daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

The family is set to stay at Wood Farm, a large property on the Sandringham estate, where they traditionally exchange gifts on Christmas Eve before the public church walk.

The scandal erupted when court documents revealed a "close confidant" of Prince Andrew, known only as H6, was identified as an alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from entering the UK following an MI5 investigation.

The businessman visited Buckingham Palace twice and gained access to both St James's Palace and Windsor Castle.

Home Office officials claimed H6 had been positioned to develop relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials "that could be leveraged for political interference purposes".

The alleged agent had previously attended meetings of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

King Charles is reportedly furious that Prince Andrew has again plunged the Royal Family into scandal.

A source told The Sun: "There would inevitably have to be some very awkward conversations and the King would not relish making his brother squirm."

Despite his frustration, Charles has accepted that he can't "divorce or sack" his younger brother, as "there will always be a bond of blood".

Friends suggest Andrew must recognise his presence at such events will put King Charles in an awkward position.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said: "Andrew should take it on himself and decline both invites. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do so he isn't embarrassing the King."

She emphasised that the Christmas Day walk is particularly problematic as "it's so public and the pictures go all round the world. He should take a back seat and just not go."

Seward added that Andrew's situation creates an unwelcome challenge for the King "at the end of a difficult year where he and the rest of the family have had to deal with cancer."

The latest controversy follows Prince Andrew's withdrawal from frontline royal duties in late 2019 after his BBC interview about Jeffrey Epstein.

Earlier this year, King Charles stopped paying his brother's £1million-a-year security bill at Royal Lodge and urged him to move to more modest accommodation.

However, in November, the duke secured permission to remain at the Windsor mansion after convincing Palace authorities he had obtained legitimate funding.

The latest revelations have raised fresh questions about the source of Andrew's Royal Lodge financing.