Prince Andrew is reportedly planning to leave the United Kingdom and seek refuge in Abu Dhabi as early as next year, with several of his friends suggesting he could “do a Harry” and relocate to the Middle East.
According to The Daily Beast, the British prince has been given the use of a palace in Abu Dhabi by the country’s autocratic elite, where he is anticipated to relocate next year.
Prince Andrew retains access to at least one fully-staffed private palace in Abu Dhabi, despite not owning it, biographer Lownie, who is writing a book titled Entitled: The Controversial Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York, revealed to the publication.
Notably, it is a matter of public record that Prince Andrew used the palace owned by UAE’s ruling House of Nahyan when he was a trade ambassador for the UK over a decade ago.
This is not the first time Andrew’s ties to Abu Dhabi have raised eyebrows. Reports from 2010 revealed that he had free use of a “gilded mini-palace” in the UAE capital, confirmed by his spokesman at the time.
The biographer further said that he believes Prince Andrew will be leaving England as he feels has been unfairly treated over his controversial relationship with businessman Yang Tengbo.
Yang, a Chinese businessman formerly based in London and now suspected of being a Chinese spy, cultivated a close relationship with Andrew, especially after the prince was expelled from the royal family following the disastrous BBC interview about his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The speculation comes in the wake of a growing espionage and financial scandal that has shaken the UK establishment.
Documents found in Yang’s possession revealed that Andrew was “in a desperate situation and will grab on to anything,” suggesting the nature of their business interactions.
Prince Andrew to be excluded from Royal family’s Christmas celebrations
As a result of these latest scandals, Prince Andrew has reportedly been excluded from the British royal family‘s Christmas celebrations completely, The Daily Beast reported.
Recently, King Charles III, has also been distancing himself from the prince, who has long been mired in controversy.
In recent months, Prince Andrew has also made allegations of accepting questionable financial support from foreign powers with his lavish lifestyle under scrutiny.
A Recent lawsuit revealed that Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters received a total of £1.4 million ($1.75m) from alleged fraudster Selman Turk, who allegedly duped a Turkish heiress into sending the money.