Prince Andrew to spend holidays alone while family relax at ski lodge

Prince Andrew will reportedly be spending the holidays "lying low" at home while his family retreat to their luxe Swiss ski lodge for their annual winter break.

The prince has faced ongoing backlash in the last months, stepping down from royal duties following a disastrous BBC interview about his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Having been effectively retired from public engagements, Andrew has been trying to keep a low profile since the interview aired, and the holiday period will be no different.

While his daughter, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, join their mother Sarah Ferguson in Switzerland at the family's $24 million Swiss ski chalet, Andrew will remain in England alone.

"Prince Andrew will not be joining them this year. He will be lying low back home," a friend of Sarah told the Mirror.

Sarah will spend Christmas at the Chalet, the Princesses joining her there for New Year's celebrations after joining other royals at Sandringham for Christmas.

Andrew and Sarah, who divorced in 1996 but remain amicable, bought the chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, in 2014 after many family holidays to the region.

Boasting seven bedrooms, a heated indoor pool and a sauna, the luxe property played a role in the recent scrutiny over Andrew's 'billionaire lifestyle'.

Following his "car crash" interview and subsequent royal sacking, questions were raised about where Andrew was getting his money in the first place.

At the time he received a tax-free income of $473,000 a year from the Queen, plus a further $38,000 from his naval pension.

But that money alone didn't seem to add up with the expensive purchases and regular holidays abroad that Andrew was so fond of.