Prince Andrew is in the thick of it once again amid another scandal, after links to an alleged Chinese spy.

The Duke of York will not be joining the rest of The Royal Family at Sandringham Estate for the traditional Christmas gathering, after reports revealed he will “honourably withdraw”.

He is expected to stay at home at the Royal Lodge in Windsor on Christmas Day.

It comes as Yang Tengbo, also known as Chris Yang, has been banned from entering the UK. The Chinese businessman denied being a spy and said that he had “done nothing wrong or unlawful”.

Though Prince Andrew is no longer a working royal, after having largely stepped back from public life, he would still attend family occasions such as Christmas.

There were reports that the prince was privately being urged to keep a low profile at Christmas to avoid him becoming the focal point of the event. He has now dropped out altogether.

Here, the Express takes a look at the royals that will (and won’t) be likely to make an appearance at Sandringham on Christmas Day.

There will be another notable – yet unsurprising – absence again this year, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will remain in California, with their children Archie and Lilibet.

Harry and Meghan have their own family traditions over in California, and the Duchess opened up about her family’s private celebrations in a rare interview.

“We’re always making sure we have something to do,” the Duchess told the Daily Mail.

“Like any other family, you spend time having a great meal and then what do you do? Play games, all the same stuff, someone brings a guitar – fun.”

As for the rest of the royals, Prince William admitted that there will be 45 guests at their royal Christmas dinner.

The prince said that he is completely unprepared for Christmas this year, but he hopes that King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the team at Sandringham are feeling slightly more on top of things.

On Christmas morning, the royals attend services at the Church of St Magdalene, greeting members of the public who have camped out to see them.

At lunch, the royals should expect a game of charades, then a black tie banquet to conclude the evening.

It appears like there will be no room at the 2,000 acre estate this Christmas, and while we don’t know exactly who has RSVPd, here are some of the most likely candidates.

At the head of table, King Charles and Queen Camilla will be hosting the festivities at Sandringham.

The Wales’ will also be at Sandringham this year. The young royals Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are always such a joy for the crowds to see on their walk to St Mary’s.

Princess Kate will also have all eyes on her, as she has only recently begun performing occasional royal duties after her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

This year, the Edinburghs have been a real rock for the royal family.

Following their cancer diagnoses, Charles and Catherine temporarily stepped back from their royal duties, and Prince Edward, the King’s youngets brother, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have assumed a number of public roles.

With James, Earl of Wessex, beginning his A-Levels earlier this autumn and Lady Louise Windsor wrapping up a year of study at St Andrews, both of their children are undoubtedly anticipating a well-earned Christmas break.

During the royal Christmas season, Anne, the Princess Royal, and her spouse, Sir Timothy Laurence, are probably going to be in Norfolk, too.

Princess Anne, who is frequently referred to as the hardest-working royal, is believed to be fully recovered from a head injury she sustained earlier this year.

Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, and her husband Mike are regarded as the royal family’s “glue” since they can always make any event more enjoyable.

Evidently, it runs in the family since last Christmas, their daughter Mia Tindall was spotted joking and laughing with Prince George.

She and her siblings, Lena and Lucas, might also make a comeback in 2024.

Zara’s rigorous equestrian program prevented the Tindalls from joining the Windsors at Balmoral this summer, so they will undoubtedly be excited to make up for lost time.

Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall’s brother, has been known to spend Christmas at Sandringham with his mother, Princess Anne.

His children, Isla and Savannah Phillips, have accompanied him in previous years, and this year, his fiancée, Harriet Sperling, might potentially receive an additional invitation.

At the Badminton Horse Trials, Peter introduced Queen Camilla to the NHS nurse, and the two had a wonderful summer together.

Royal observers were ecstatic to see Edo’s son Christopher, who is also co-parented by Princess Beatrice and Christopher’s mother Dara Huang, join her and her husband, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in Sandringham in 2022.

The child, who goes by the name “Wolfie,” also accompanied Beatrice to Catherine’s carol concert last week.

Is it possible that the royal couple will be seen with their daughter, Sienna?

Given that Princess Beatrice is expecting her second child in early 2025, there might need to be an additional seat at the table next year.

We might see Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank join the rest of the Firm this year, along with their two children, August and Ernest, since they are popular festive guests among the assembled royals at Sandringham.