Prince Andrew was seen alone near Windsor Castle on Sunday, having chosen to skip the Royal Family's Christmas festivities at Sandringham amid the Chinese spy scandal.
The Duke of York, 64, was photographed taking an afternoon stroll solo as he prepared to spend Christmas away from the main royal gathering according to reports by GB News.
Instead, the duke will be spending Christmas Day at Royal Lodge in Windsor, where he lives with ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, despite reported attempts by King Charles to evict them.
His decision to stay away from Sandringham comes in the wake of recent headlines about his links with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
Sarah will also be absent from the Sandringham celebrations, opting to spend Christmas Day with Prince Andrew at Royal Lodge. This decision seems to have alleviated tensions within the Royal Family, as reports suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were "less than pleased" at the idea of being "cheek by jowl with the Yorks" during the festivities, according to The Sun.
This year's gathering at the King's private Norfolk estate is expected to be one of the largest family celebrations in recent years. Prince Andrew has also "split" from his daughters for Christmas, with the two Princesses of York originally planning to spend the festive season with their respective in-laws.
Princess Beatrice, 36, who is expecting her second child, has made a last-minute decision to stay in the UK following medical advice. She will now spend Christmas with King Charles and the rest of the Royal Family in Norfolk, while her parents celebrate in Windsor.
Princess Eugenie, on the other hand, is set to enjoy the festive season with her husband Jack Brooksbank and his relatives.
King Charles was spotted greeting supporters outside St Mary Magdalene Church on Sunday, donning a brown tweed coat and holding an umbrella.
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Jennie Bond, a former royal correspondent, labelled Prince Andrew as a "pariah" within the family, indicating that he may have pushed King Charles too far after a series of controversies.
"The King is a kind soul and Andrew is his brother. He would have hated to be put in the position of having to un-invite him or ban him from what promises to be a big family get-together," Bond commented to OK! magazine.
Bond also noted: "It seems quite likely Andrew sat down with Fergie, and possibly his daughters, to discuss the best solution."
"Thankfully, wise heads have prevailed and he obviously realised his presence at Sandringham would be an embarrassing distraction on a day which - this year of all years - should be all about the King and Catherine," she concluded.
The ex-royal correspondent's remarks indicate that Andrew's choice to skip the family gathering was the most suitable decision under the circumstances.
His self-imposed absence from the royal Christmas festivities seems to have averted a potentially awkward situation for the family during one of their most important annual gatherings.
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