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Prince Andrew's relationship with a Chinese businessman accused of spying is the main story for most of the morning papers. The Times reveals the Duke invited him to Buckingham Palace on two separate occasions. The paper says he also attended an official function at St. James's Palace, and an event at Windsor Castle, as well as a birthday party for the Duke at his home, Royal Lodge. Alongside his links to Prince Andrew, the paper says the man is believed to have built up a network of contacts at "the heart of the British establishment."
The Daily Telegraph quotes Suella Braverman, who as home secretary barred the businessman from entering the UK. Along with other senior Conservatives, she's demanding that he lose his anonymity, arguing that revealing his identity would "have a deterrent effect on others." The paper also reports that the security services have begun an investigation into money given to Prince Andrew by Chinese donors. Sources at Buckingham Palace have, says the paper, "let their despair be known." Aides will be "pulling their hair out" says the Daily Express.
The Daily Mirror says the King has been briefed by MI5 on what it calls the "embarrassing security breach", and is "truly exasperated" by his brother's latest scandal. The paper claims security chiefs are concerned the alleged spy could have given other agents a route into Prince Andrew's inner circle.
According to the Daily Mail, the Duke knew the alleged spy for 10 years, before cutting contact in 2022. Referencing other scandals in the duke's past, the paper's editorial says: "If a man is judged by the company he keeps then Prince Andrew's record is damning." He has said that he "ceased all contact" with the businessman, after receiving advice from the government.
The Financial Times describes this week's growth figures - showing the economy shrank for the second month in a row - as a "blow" to Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The paper says the "lacklustre" data "underscores the financial challenge" for Labour, with the government a long way off from achieving its "number one mission" of growing the economy.
The Telegraph has an interview with a leading neuroscientist. Professor Sir John Hardy, who first made the link between a build-up of proteins in the brain and the onset of Alzheimer's. He tells the paper that Alzheimer's drugs should be "prescribed like statins" to stave off dementia, with routine blood tests to monitor protein levels before the age of 60.
A Church of England vicar, invited in to a primary school in Hampshire to give a talk about the birth of Jesus, has apologised, after being accused of "ruining Christmas". The Times reports that 10 and 11-year old pupils at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School were left "sobbing", after the vicar suggested it might be their parents - and not Santa - who eats the treats they leave out on Christmas Eve. Irate mums and dads have complained to the teachers, who say they're doing all they can to "bring the magic back."
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