Duke of York Visited 15 Countries and Clocked up 67,000 Miles in 2014

[cinrit]

Four years after he officially gave up his role as Britain's roving trade ambassador, the Duke of York is still racking up more air miles than any other member of the Royal family, it has emerged.

The Duke visited 15 countries on working visits in 2014, almost four times as many as the Duke of Cambridge and six more than any other member of the Royal family.

In total, Prince Andrew travelled 66,800 miles by air, the equivalent of circling the globe almost three times, even though his official role is focussed on British entrepreneurs, education and science and technology.

It is almost twice as far as the 37,000 miles he travelled in 2012/13 and closer to the 77,000 miles he travelled in his final year as UK trade ambassador, a role he quit in 2011 because of his links with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and other controversial business contacts.

More: Air Miles Andy flies again: Duke of York visited 15 countries and clocked up 67,000 miles in 2014 - Telegraph

Cindy

[amabel]

Is that good or bad?

[Curryong]

Is that good or bad?

Well, he is known (among other things) as 'Air miles Andy'!

[amabel]

Yeah but is that an attack on him for his using up natural resources?  or is it a plus, that he does at least do a lot of engagements?

[cinrit]

From what I can remember from previous complaints about his traveling, it's a minus because of the costs involved.

Cindy

[amabel]

So Andy and the royals can't win!  we're told that Will and Kate are bad because they don't do enough engagements and now Andy's to be blamed because he DOES do a lot of engagements because it costs money

[cinrit]

I think it's because he takes a lot of private flights.  Those cost a good deal of money.

Cindy

[snokitty]

Andrew is being bad because he uses to many flights that have nothing to do with engagements but are still paid for.

Andrew holds no value for the Monarchy now, even if he did five engagements a day. He is nothing more than a drain on resources at this point.

[HistoryGirl]

Why is he traveling to 15 countries if his focus is on British entrepreneurs and education?

[amabel]

Promoting them abroad?

[HistoryGirl]

^To the extent that he travels more than any other member of the family?

[amabel]

He likes travellign, what can I say?  I hate it

[HistoryGirl]

Does he pay for the flights himself? If he does then this doesn't really matter, but if he doesn't then I don't know why this would make any sense.

[snokitty]

Some of his "private trips" are paid for by the public and some by "friends".

He is no longer Trade Ambassador so most of his trips are "private".  :wink:

[HistoryGirl]

Thanks for the info.

[Lady Adams]

Does he pay for the flights himself? If he does then this doesn't really matter, but if he doesn't then I don't know why this would make any sense.

He certainly doesn't pay for his security staff, though. All that traveling adds up.

[Curryong]

Andrew has to spend up to £500,000 a year on his daughters' security since cost-cutting at Scotland Yard.

Here's how he might be helping to recoup some of that.

Prince Andrew opens super-rich bank for pal who helped clear Sarah Ferguson's debts - Mirror Online

[KaTerina Montague]

Will someone please explain to me why this is a negative thing thrown at Andrew? It appears he is doing all this flying for work, it's not like he is going sight seeing or on vacation. Complaining about this seems similar to complaining about President Obama using Air Force One to fly around the world to promote American interests. Can someone explain what the difference is?

[snokitty]

Obama is President of the USA. Andrew is the Queens son and not a representative of the UK government.

[Canuck]

I think the problem with Andrew's travel is that many government officials have said that he isn't actually helping the UK (and of tennis actively hurting it, by potentially screwing up trade deals and just being a boor and insulting people).  He also mixed a lot of personal fun in on his allegedly official business trips, promotes his own personal deals (like the sale of his house), and even insists a lot of the gifts given to him are for him personally rather than official gifts (that have to be recorded and would be owned by the government).  It all gives the impression that his travel is for his own benefit rather than for the UK.

[amabel]

I think the problem with Andrew's travel is that many government officials have said that he isn't actually helping the UK (and of tennis actively hurting it, by potentially screwing up trade deals and just being a boor and insulting people).  He also mixed a lot of personal fun in on his allegedly official business trips, promotes his own personal deals (like the sale of

True but a lot of royals tag on a holiday to a business trip. I don't think he's brilliant at the job, he's not diplomatic.. and if he's indeed using the trips for his onw personal business deals he's dangerously near to "over the line"...

[Canuck]

They do, but Andrew seems to do it more than anyone else, and also does by far the most travel in the BRF.  And since he doesn't seem to be producing much in the way of tangible results from those trips -- aside from angry complaints from government officials -- I think that's why there are so many people wondering whether the "official" parts of his trips are really just excuses for the fun bits.

[TLLK]

Does anyone know if there were complaints when The Duke of Kent was in the trade role? He held the post prior to Andrew.

I wonder if Edward or Harry are going to be groomed for this position in the future?

[Curryong]

The Duke of Kent acted as a special trade envoy for Britain (under different titles) for over 25 years and never a whisper of a complaint. Soon after 'air miles Andy' took over a similar role there were criticisms.

[TLLK]

That's what I expected to read Curryong. Did anyone even know that Edward DoK was in that role because he's not someone who is known for drawing attention to himself. Wimbledon is his one big moment in the spotlight.  :D