He stepped back from his royal roles in 2020 and was stripped of his military titles by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2022 due to his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but Prince Andrew is still struggling to come to terms with taking a back seat. 
An insider revealed that Andrew, 67, has yet to receive an invitation to Christmas festivities at the royal household and his bad mood about the lack of plans is evident when he spends time with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 64, and their two daughters, Princess Eugenie, 33, and Princess Beatrice, 35.
The insider said, “Prince Andrew is persona non grata within the royal household once again this holiday season, and it’s weighing heavily on his daughters and wife Fergie because he’s such a needy misery.”
They added, “Andrew was begrudgingly allowed to attend services with the family last Christmas, but the King kept him waiting until almost the last minute and he’s doing the same thing again. Andrew has no idea if he’s going to be included or not and he’s been complaining that everyone would be happier if he just left town.

“It’s all very self-pitying and a cry for attention but it still really upsets his girls – they hate seeing their dad so low. Fergie isn’t so sympathetic; she wants Andrew to man up and stop dragging her and the girls down.”
Last year, despite having his titles taken off him 11 months earlier in January 2022, Andrew joined King Charles and the Royal Family for the annual Christmas Day church outing at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk.
The 62-year-old walked with the family, which included his daughters and Beatrice’s stepson, Christopher Woolf. Following the service, he spoke with the priest and joined in greeting members of the public, who were waiting outside.
The source explained that Andrew’s attendance at family events is a sore subject for the royal family, but at the same time they want to show good will and forgiveness as Christmas is the season for it.

“Andrew’s presence at functions and holiday celebrations has become a real elephant in the room for the royals to deal with, and it’s been this way now ever since his scandals blew up several years ago,” they said.
They added, “On one hand the likes of Charles, Camilla and the Waleses would dearly appreciate it if he made himself scarce and stayed out of sight, since he’s still such a controversial, polarising figure and a large majority of people will never forgive the shame and embarrassment he’s heaped on the family. But for all those wrongdoings he’s still family, the brother of the King, Anne and Edward of course, plus eighth in line to the throne. 
They continued, “They’re acutely conscious it’s Christmas, the season of goodwill and forgiveness, so the idea of snubbing Andrew feels a little too harsh to some. 

“Plus of course it would generate more headlines about how estranged he is – further scandal they could well do without. So they’re caught between a rock and a hard place, especially Charles, who resents his brother but doesn’t want to be seen treating him like an outcast.” 
Andrew’s fall from grace began in 2011 when he was linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In 2015, Andrew was accused of being one of several figures to have participated in sexual activities with a minor later identified as Virginia Giuffre, who was allegedly trafficked for sex by Epstein. Buckingham Palace denied the allegations. 
In 2019, Andrew took part in a disastrous BBC TV interview where he claimed he could not have had sex with Virginia because he was at home after a visit to Pizza Express in Woking, that her description of his dancing with her beforehand could not be true because he was unable to sweat, and that he had “no recollection of ever meeting” her. In February 2022 he reached a settlement with Virginia in which he agreed to make a “substantial donation” to a charity, and accepted that Virginia “suffered as an established victim of abuse”. 

Last week, Andrew hit the headlines again as it was reported he and his ex-wife had reached a ‘settlement’ after landing in a High Court legal battle involving a Turkish millionaire.
Andrew’s link to the fight over money between 78-year-old Nebahat Isbilen and businessman Selman Turk emerged last year after written claims were filed.
Mrs Isbilen’s lawyer had said €800,000 was “dishonestly” paid to Andrew from her account by Mr Turk, who is fighting the case. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the royals. 
And our source said that in the circumstances, it would be beneficial for Prince Andrew, Sarah and their daughters to celebrate Christmas on a smaller scale. However, Andrew is still hopeful he can get back into public life.

“It would be a whole lot easier if the Yorks were to break away from the main family and have their own private celebration. But that’s not their preference, and it’s certainly not Andrew’s. In spite of all this awkwardness and resentment, he still holds out hope that he’ll be eased back into public life and have a place within the monarchy down the line. And in the meantime he very much hopes and expects to be seated at the table for Christmas Dinner, invited on the royal hunts and banquets and treated like everybody else,” they said.
“In his mind it’s egregious to suggest he should slink away and crawl under a rock somewhere – he is quick to remind people that he hasn’t been convicted of any crime and his mother supported him unequivocally, until the end of her life. He says Her Majesty would never have allowed such a scenario and so Charles should be following her lead, end of story. 
“So now he’s biding his time and hoping for as much involvement and as many invites as possible, and if he doesn’t get what he wants, it seems certain there’ll be one hell of a stink.”