Amid a series of controversies and his exclusion from royal activities, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is allegedly planning to move to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as soon as 2025.
Andrew Lownie, who is currently penning a biography of the Duke and Duchess of York titled “Entitled: The Controversial Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York,” revealed to The Daily Beast that the Prince maintains exclusive use of at least one fully staffed private palace in Abu Dhabi, although he does not technically own it.
British courts identified Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo, also known as “H6,” as a potential spy on December 16, 2024. Yang was associated with the Chinese arm of Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace initiative, and documents in Yang’s possession suggested that Andrew was in a dire situation. The Prince was entitled to a two percent cut of any investment deals made through the initiative.
“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,” said Norman Baker, a former British government minister.
The Prince’s financial dealings have faced increasing scrutiny. Recent allegations suggest that Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters accepted $1.75 million from Selman Turk, an alleged fraudster. Andrew also reportedly received $3.75 million above the asking price when he sold his home in 2007 to the son-in-law of Kazakhstan’s then-president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Following the latest scandal, King Charles III omitted Andrew from the royal Christmas celebrations. Andrew was notably absent from the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on December 19, 2024, despite previous attempts to slowly reintegrate him into royal life.
Andrew’s ties to Abu Dhabi can be traced back to his tenure as UK’s trade ambassador over a decade ago when he had access to a “gilded mini-palace” in the UAE capital. His spokesperson at the time confirmed that the Abu Dhabi Royal Family provided the villa for both personal and professional use.
“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,” said Lownie. The historian also pointed out that Andrew’s family, including daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, have established ties in the Middle East.
If Andrew does relocate to Abu Dhabi, he will be joining Spain’s King Juan Carlos, another royal figure embroiled in a corruption scandal, who has been residing there since 2020.
