£195,000 In 13 Days: How Kazakhstan Ended Up In Prince Andrew’s Costliest Tour

Kazakhstan was on the route of one of the most expensive foreign trips made by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew. As The i Paper found, flights alone during his tour of Italy and Central Asia cost British taxpayers £121,800, Orda.kz reports.

Expenses And Trips

Journalists at The i Paper estimated that during the final four years of his work as Britain’s special trade representative, the middle son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles III spent more than £2.17 million in public funds. The amount included flights, accommodation, and other expenses for Andrew and the staff accompanying him.

Andrew has long been nicknamed “Air Miles Andy” because of his fondness for expensive foreign flights. His work as a trade envoy repeatedly raised questions among journalists. Media reports drew attention to trips that coincided with major sporting events, including Formula 1 races and golf tournaments, as well as photos from yachts and resorts during foreign visits.

An 11-day tour of Italy and Central Asia was also among the most expensive. Flights for that trip alone cost British taxpayers £121,810. The route included Rome, Milan, and Almaty. The trip took place in 2010.

Mansion, Kulibayev, and Offshore Companies

Andrew’s name has also been linked to Kazakhstan for another reason.

In 2010, the BBC reported that Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev had bought Andrew’s Sunninghill Park mansion for £15 million — £3 million above the asking price. Journalists found that the money for the deal partly came through offshore structures previously mentioned in an international corruption investigation.

According to the BBC, the loan was provided to Kulibayev by Enviro Pacific Investments. Italian prosecutors linked the company to an alleged kickback scheme in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector. The purchase itself was made through the offshore company Unity Assets Corporation.

At the same time, Kulibayev’s representatives said he had fully repaid the loan with interest, had not violated the law, and had never been a defendant in the investigation. The mansion was later demolished. A new house was built in its place, but it also remained unoccupied.

Epstein And New Investigations

The scandals surrounding the former Duke of York are not limited to his expenses.

In February this year, Andrew was taken to a police station. The questioning lasted about 12 hours, and his home was searched. Investigators were checking a complaint that he had allegedly passed confidential documents to Jeffrey Epstein. According to materials published in the United States in the Epstein case, Andrew allegedly sent reports on trips to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam and shared details of investment opportunities.

Andrew’s connection with Epstein became public in the late 2000s, when the financier was first arrested in a human trafficking case. Virginia Giuffre later said she was abused by a member of the royal family when she was 17. In 2011, after a photo of them together was published, Andrew stepped down as trade envoy.

In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in New York. A year later, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement, but the amount was not disclosed. After that, King Charles III stripped his brother of his military titles and the right to use the title His Royal Highness in official duties.

Original author: Saule Abdykamit

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