'The tension in the camp is palpable'
Prince Andrew allegedly spends hours in front of a giant TV, longing for his old life out in the world.
The Duke of York is "incredibly stressed" ahead of his court case on January 4. The royal will not be joining the rest of his family for the main Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, choosing instead to "keep a low profile".
Royal expert Richard Kay has claimed that the Duke will also skip the annual Christmas dinner of the Grenadier Guards Norfolk Dining Club tomorrow.
Kay claimed missing out on the event would be a "painful and lonely moment" for the Duke of York.
"As the coffee and mince pies are passed around and old stories of derring-do exchanged, Andrew will be 150 miles away watching television at home in Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park," Kay wrote in the Daily Mail.
"To a man whose whole life was once centred around the military, it is a poignant, painful and lonely moment.
"Andrew is an outsider, an outcast, in fact - not precisely shunned, but forced to avoid many of the people and places that mean most to him."
Prince Andrew is set to appear in court on January 4 to determine whether he will face a full trial at the US civil court against Virginia Giuffre.
Sources told the
Mirror that Andrew told his legal team to "cancel Christmas" and focus on his hearing. They say the royal is "totally consumed" with the upcoming legal battle and has been barely sleeping to keep in constant contact with his US-based lawyers.
"The tension in the camp is palpable. No one is really sure what Andrew's involvement is other than asking a lot of questions, but he spends his days and nights poring over documents," the source said.
"He is totally consumed by it, keeping most irregular working hours so he can be in contact with his team."
Prince Andrew and his legal team will face off against Virginia Giuffre on January 4.
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