The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, is said to be considering a move to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, possibly as early as this year, amidst ongoing controversies and his recent exclusion from Royal Family events.
Andrew Lownie, who is in the process of penning a biography of the Prince titled “Entitled: The Controversial Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York,” verified to The Daily Beast that despite not owning it, Prince Andrew still has exclusive access to at least one fully staffed private palace in Abu Dhabi.
On December 16, 2024, British courts named Yang Tengbo, previously anonymous as “H6,” as a suspected Chinese spy. Documents discovered in Yang’s possession suggested that “Andrew was in a desperate situation and will grab on to anything.” Yang managed the Chinese division of Andrew’s Pitch@Palace initiative, which entitled Andrew to a two percent cut from investment deals.
Former British minister Norman Baker criticized Prince Andrew, stating that while his connection to Jeffrey Epstein was troubling, the greater issue lies in his misuse of his role as the U.K. trade envoy for personal financial gain.
Following the latest scandal, King Charles III left out Andrew from the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations, with his noticeable absence from the pre-Christmas luncheon at Buckingham Palace on December 19, 2024. This exclusion comes after previous attempts to gradually reintegrate Andrew and his ex-wife back into royal life.
Increased scrutiny has been placed on the prince’s financial transactions. Recent revelations have shown that Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters received $1.75 million from alleged fraudster Selman Turk. Moreover, Andrew received $3.75 million over the asking price when he sold his house in 2007 to Kazakhstan’s then-president Nursultan Nazarbayev’s son-in-law.
Andrew’s ties with Abu Dhabi can be traced back to over a decade ago when he served as the United Kingdom trade ambassador and had complimentary use of a “gilded mini-palace” in the UAE capital. His spokesperson at the time confirmed this agreement, stating the Abu Dhabi Royal Family provided the villa for both personal and professional use.
The relocation to Abu Dhabi appears to be a strategic move for Andrew. According to Lownie, “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.” The biographer also 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 move to Abu Dhabi, he will be joining another controversial royal, Spain’s King Juan Carlos, who has resided there since 2020 following his own corruption scandal.