Prince Andrew was dubbed Air Miles Andy for a reason. The Duke of York allegedly spent too much when he travels by taking on a private jet and buying an array of expensive gifts to bring back home.
Prince Andrew Called 'Money Pit' And Splurged On Traveling
Royal biographer Tina Brown weighed in on Prince Andrew's lavish lifestyle in her new book The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor--the Truth and the Turmoil. The royal author called the Duke of York a "coroneted sleaze machine" and even referenced him as "money pit," Express reported.
Queen Elizabeth's favorite son allegedly splurted on traveling after his divorce from his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. In 2007, Prince Andrew allegedly spent £500,000 after making 300 trips with a total of £465,000 on flights and £154,000 on food and hotels.
When the Duke of York flew to India in 2012, he allegedly spent thousands by hiring an £80,000 private jet and a £10,000-a-night suite that included a gold room, jacuzzi, gym, a private spa room, and a personal butler.
However, Prince Andrew seemingly downplayed the spending.
"In terms of the return on investment to the UK, bearing in mind I am part of a number of people, I would suggest that £500,000 is cheap at the price," he said at the time, per Express.
The duke didn't stop there. He also took a lavish trip when he visited Phuket, Thailand. He allegedly stayed in an "ultra-exclusive" £4,000-a-night resort and was reportedly photographed with topless women on a private yacht.
Aside from staying at luxury hotels, Prince Andrew's excursions allegedly include lavish gifts and new foreign contacts, which Brown described as "far beyond what was explicable acceptable."
Palace Defends Prince Andrew Flying To A Golfing Event At $20,000
In September 2020, Prince Andrew made headlines after it was reported that he took a flight to Northern Ireland in 2019 to attend a golf championship and it cost around $20,000, based on the figures from the royal accounts.
At the time, Prince Andrew already stepped down as a working royal. However, he was the patron of the Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland and a past captain of the Royal and Ancient golf club.
"The arrangements in relation to the program did not enable him to travel by scheduled flight. That was taken into consideration in determining whether a charter was appropriate," a senior royal source told People.
"When we arrange travel for an official engagement, we look at all the options, including scheduled flights and charter flights and we will look at the program [on] either side of that and we will then determine what is the most appropriate form of travel. In this case, we concluded the use of charter was the only way to get him to complete the engagement to fit in with his other programs."
Do you agree that Prince Andrew reportedly spent too much on his trips?
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Queen Elizabeth Shock: British Monarch Welcomes Commoners To Royal Family After Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson's Relationship, Royal Expert Camilla Tominey Claims