Prince Andrew in trouble over golf

It has been alleged that Prince Andrew has spent an extraordinary amount of money on a golfing trip in 2019. The visit took place in July 2019, prior to Andrew’s decision to retire from public life last November.

Andrew has faced public criticism after the delayed annual Sovereign Grant Report was released earlier in September. According to the documents, the Duke of York had gone on a three-day trip to watch the golf tournament The Open Championship at Portrush in 2019, which cost the British taxpayer an exorbitant £16,000 ($20, 391).

Just months after the visit, Andrew announced he was stopping all public duties and standing back from all his patronages following the fallout from his disastrous television interview about convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The reports show Andrew flew in a private jet from Farnborough, to Portrush in Northern Ireland and back — even though there were daily flights from London to Belfast available.

“Arrangements in relation to the programme did not enable him to travel by scheduled flight.”

Andrew was the patron of the Royal Portrush Golf Club and a past captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

However, a tongue-in-cheek possession reportedly found in the Duke of York’s home only seems to emphasise how much value Andrew puts in his golfing hobby.

When interviewing Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice in their family home back in October 2018, journalist Ellie Pithers noted: “The most striking thing about Royal Lodge, the Gothic revival mansion on the Windsor estate – formerly home to the Queen Mother; now the residence of the Duke of York – is the sheer volume of needlepoint cushions in situ.”

She continued: “‘Born to golf, forced to work,’ reads one plump example, nestled on a sofa in the grand hallway.

“‘One very spoilt Yorkie lives here,’ pronounces another.”

It is not clear if the pillows in question definitely belong to Andrew, but he is definitely the greatest golf enthusiast in his family.

Interestingly, this year is not the first time Andrew has been criticised for his love of golf.

The Labour MP Tony Banks once described the Queen’s second son as a “useless, overweight parasite” after he hired a private jet to attend the Open Championship in Scotland, according to The Telegraph.

He spent £10,000 using the Queen’s flight to watch the closing stages of the same tournament in 2001 as well, and then in 2004 he ditched the D-Day anniversary celebrations in France to go to a golfing dinner.

The following year, he was criticised for spending £32,000 after using the RAF to fly him to St Andrews.

In between public duties, he managed to lower his handicap to just four in 2009, meaning he could qualify as a professional.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3n1d8EE