Prince Andrew hasconsultedwith his ex-wife, Sarah, and has made the decisionnot tojointomorrow's pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
The Dukebackedoutofthe eventafterconsultingwith his ex-wife, whourgedhim not togo.
BuckinghamPalaceisscheduledtohold a gathering thatis expected toattract70 members of the Royal Family, but royal officialsare not sure about the Duke's attendance.
Andrew’s absence is seen as a response to the ongoing controversy surrounding his alleged connections to a spy scandal, relieving King Charles III.
The Mail reported that Andrew had insisted he had every right to attend the event. He is said to have told friends "he should be there" prior to his decision not to attend.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson had withdrawn from the annual gathering at Sandringham.
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will instead spend December 25 at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. This marks a departure from their usual Christmas at Sandringham, where it was previously announced they would not attend the annual festivities.