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Prince Andrew to miss royal family Christmas tradition
Prince Andrew looks set to miss a royal family Christmas tradition for another year as he reportedly doesn't want to be "a distraction".
The Duke of York, who is currently caught up in a civil case brought on by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre, won't be joining other members of the family at the annual Christmas Day mass at Sandringham.
Instead, the 61-year-old is expected to attend an early morning service on Christmas Day and then the rest of the family will go to the 11am mass, while he remains at the Queen's Sandringham Estate.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times when she was underage. The Duke has strongly denied the allegations and is expected to find out on January 4 whether he will have to face a trial, with a US court to deciding on the matter.
According to The Mirror, Prince Andrew won't attend the mass as he is trying to shield his family from further scandal.
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"The Duke doesn't want to be a distraction, especially as this is the first time the Queen has had her family all together since the start of the pandemic apart from at Prince Philip's funeral," a source told the publication.
"Everyone is hoping to have a relaxing and joyful time."
Prince Andrew also missed the family Christmas outing in 2019, after he first became engulfed in the scandal involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He officially stepped down from royal duties and the scandal escalated after Andrew's rambling explanations in a disastrous BBC TV interview which aired in November, which left many viewers incredulous, and his apparent lack of compassion for Epstein's victims drew widespread condemnation.
In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace at the time, Andrew said it had become clear to him that his association with the late Epstein had become a ‘major distraction’ to the royal family's work.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” he said.
According to recent reports, the Queen is planning a full-on festive celebration, despite the tumultuous year.
An 'insider' claimed that she is 'committed to hosting everyone' as usual, possibly at Windsor Castle, where the Queen now spends the majority of her time, and where they celebrated 'quietly' last year during the pandemic.
Sandringham, in Norfolk, however, has been the venue for the family get-togethers since 1988. Previously Christmas was always held at Windsor, but after Windsor was fully rewired over Christmas that year, the event moved to Sandringham.
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