TAXPAYERS footed the bill for Prince Andrew’s £16,000 private flight to a golf tournament last summer, it has emerged.
The 60-year-old took a private jet from Farnborough to Portrush in Northern Ireland last July, despite 13 daily flights being scheduled from London to Belfast.
His trip to the championship was detailed in the delayed Sovereign Grant Report, which shows how royals spend their annual allowances from the Treasury.
A palace source told The Sun newspaper that the duke was “undertaking a visit on behalf of his patronage” and arrangements “did not enable him to travel by scheduled flight”.
Andrew was stripped of his Royal Portrush patronage after last year’s car-crash Newsnight interview on his relationship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
READ MORE: Taxpayers to bailout Queen after investments plummet during coronavirus crisis
He was heavily criticised for his failure to apologise for his friendship with the financier. Following the interview the duke stood aside from all 230 patronages and public duties in general.
Other expenditure listed in the Sovereign Grant Report includes Princess Anne’s £16,440 day-trip to Rome for a Six Nations match in February as patron of the Scottish Rugby Association.
A royal source said this flight was deemed “most appropriate” regarding security and also “value for money”.
Prince Charles also spent £19,100 on a private flight to Aberdeen the day before the UK went into lockdown in March.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s family tour to southern Africa last September cost taxpayers almost £246,000. This was the most expensive royal journey of 2019-2020.
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