Sarah Ferguson has made her first statement since pulling out of the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations.

The Duchess of York and her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, will not be joining King Charles and the Royal Family on Wednesday in Sandringham.


The Duke of York recused himself from the event as he is currently wrapped up in scandal over his links to an alleged Chinese spy.

Fergie, 65, is understood to be the person who convinced her ex-husband to avoid Christmas at Sandringham.

Sarah Ferguson makes first statement since pulling out of Royal Family Christmas

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​The mother-of-two took to social media today, marking her first statement since it was announced the duke and duchess would be spending Christmas at their Windsor home, Royal Lodge.

She said: “It was a pleasure to record an audiobook of my new children’s title ‘Flora and Fern: Wonder in the Woods’ for @LBC.

“Hoping it brings you and your family lots of Christmas cheer. Listen at the link below.”

“Flora and Fern: Wonder in the Woods” was originally published on October 10, and is the first book in the new Flora and Fern series.

Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice and Princess EugeniePrince Andrew, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attending Christmas at Sandringham in 2023 with FergiePA

Despite separating in 1992 and divorcing in 1996, Sarah and Andrew continue to cohabitate at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Earlier this month, it was revealed in a High Court hearing that alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK, was said to have been a “close” confidant of Andrew.

Yang, who was named after an anonymity order was lifted, has insisted it was “entirely untrue” to claim he was involved in espionage and that he has “done nothing wrong or unlawful”.

The businessman, previously referred to only as H6 in the legal case, was the founder-partner of the Chinese arm of the duke’s Pitch@Palace initiative, and twice visited Buckingham Palace in 2018 to meet with the late Queen’s second son.

Royal LodgePrince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson may invite others to Royal Lodge in Windsor for ChristmasPA

He is also said to have entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle at Andrew’s invitation.

The duke’s office said Andrew “ceased all contact” with the then-unnamed businessman when concerns were first raised about him.

Andrew met Yang through “official channels” with “nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed”, a statement said.

The duke, now 64, has disappeared from public life since stepping down from official duties in 2019 following the furore over his friendship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.