Amid increasing controversies and his recent exclusion from the Royal Family’s activities, Prince Andrew, also known as the Duke of York, is reportedly planning to move to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates as early as next year.
Andrew Lownie, who is currently writing a biography of the prince titled “Entitled: The Controversial Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York,” confirmed to The Daily Beast that Prince Andrew still has exclusive access to a fully staffed private palace in Abu Dhabi, despite not being the legal owner.
On December 16, 2024, British courts revealed the identity of Yang Tengbo, also known as “H6,” a Chinese businessman suspected of being an undercover spy. Documents found in Yang’s possession suggested that Prince Andrew was in a desperate situation. Yang was running the Chinese arm of Andrew’s Pitch@Palace initiative, and Andrew was entitled to a two percent cut of the investment deals.
A former British government minister, Norman Baker, commented, “While Andrew’s involvement with Epstein was pretty distasteful, the real scandal is his abuse of his position as U.K. trade envoy to enrich himself.”
Scrutiny over the prince’s financial dealings has intensified. Recent revelations have shown that Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters received $1.75 million from alleged fraudster Selman Turk. In addition, Andrew received $3.75 million more than the asking price for his house when he sold it in 2007 to the son-in-law of Kazakhstan’s then-president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Following these scandals, King Charles III excluded Andrew from the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations. His absence was particularly noticeable during the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on December 19, 2024. This exclusion came after earlier attempts to gradually reintegrate Andrew and his ex-wife into royal life.
Prince Andrew’s connections to Abu Dhabi can be traced back to his tenure as the United Kingdom’s trade ambassador over a decade ago. At that time, he had free use of what was described as a “gilded mini-palace” in the UAE capital. His then-spokesman confirmed this arrangement, stating that the Abu Dhabi Royal Family provided the villa for both personal and professional use.
According to Lownie, the move to Abu Dhabi seems strategic for Andrew. He noted, “It makes sense for him; there is good weather, he is treated with deference, there are a lot of golf courses, and he can conduct his business affairs however he sees fit.” Furthermore, he mentioned that Andrew’s family members, including his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, have established connections in the Middle East.
Should Andrew decide to move to Abu Dhabi, he would join another controversial royal figure, Spain’s King Juan Carlos, who has lived there since 2020 following his own corruption scandal.
