King Charles 'to make Andrew and Fergie invisible' as pair face Christmas ban over Epstein links

The disgraced Duke and Duchess of York are set to be excluded from the festive gathering after it emerged Sarah had kept contact with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein despite publicly denouncing him in 2011.

The pair are also unlikely to be invited to future royal events, as King Charles looks to make them “invisible,” The Times reports.

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They did not attend last year’s Christmas celebrations after Charles told Andrew to “do the decent thing” and stay away when it emerged he had developed a close relationship with the alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.

A source close to Charles said: “You can’t sack someone from being your brother. But this year, if the duke and duchess were both to be as honourable [as last year], it would be very much for the best, and the family would not be disappointed—not least to avoid the King having to make any more difficult decisions.”

The Duchess is said to be “devastated for any embarrassment” caused by the leaked email exchange with Epstein and “will explain herself to the wider royal family in due course.”

Last year, the Yorks spent Christmas at Royal Lodge, the home they still share in Windsor, without their daughters—Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

When attending family occasions from now on, the King has indicated he wants the Yorks to “keep completely out of sight", which includes arriving and leaving through discreet entrances where possible.

Charles’s alleged demands come after the Yorks’ public appearance alongside the rest of the royal family at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral this month raised eyebrows.

The couple were criticised after Andrew was filmed attempting to make a joke with Prince William, who ignored him.

A friend of the King said: “The King is not of the mind to banish someone from worshipping at church or attending family occasions like a funeral.

"But he would hope they would find a more discreet way of attending these events. In the Duke of York’s case, he seems to relish the prospect of not being low-key about it.”

The Prince of Wales, who sees Andrew as a reputational “risk” and “threat” to the monarchy, is currently spending the weekend in Scotland with Charles.

The pair are thought to have discussed the latest unwelcome developments.

The Duchess had been invited to attend the Christmas gatherings at Sandringham in 2022 and 2023 — her first invitations for three decades.

Ferguson’s latest setback comes after she sold her £4.2 million Belgravia townhouse in London, three years after buying it.

She sold the property after being stripped of several patronages following the latest Epstein revelations, including her 35-year association with the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The sale also comes against the backdrop of King Charles’s attempts to cut financial support for Andrew and encourage him to downsize to Frogmore Cottage.

The Duke of York, who lives on a naval pension, has insisted he can cover the costs of Royal Lodge without outside help, though palace officials have no way of verifying the source of his wealth.