Prince Andrew reportedly spent £150,000 chartering a private jet to Saudi Arabia and back.
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The royal – who stepped down as the UK’s global trade ambassador two months ago following a series of scandals – flew to the Middle Eastern kingdom earlier this week to promote British business in lavish style instead of taking a business class charter flight, a move which has angered monarchy pressure group Republic.
Graham Smith, from the group, said: “Prince Andrew still seems to think he is free to roam the earth at the taxpayers’ expense.
“This just goes to show that when he was stripped of his trade ambassador role this was just a PR stunt and nothing has changed. We need to urgently have an inquiry into the manner of his business trips.”
While in Saudi Arabia, Prince Andrew met politicians, local dignitaries and senior figures in the Saudi Binladin Group, a construction company owned by the family of now-deceased uber-terrorist Osama bin Laden.
“The programme was agreed by the Foreign Office,” said a spokesperson for the prince.
“The visit was approved by the Royal Visits Committee.”
