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Monday 07 May 2012
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Prince Andrew criticised after flying on private jet to visit Indian
slum
The Duke of York has been accused of behaving "as if he were living in
the days of the Raj" on a visit to India in which he flew to visit a
slum on a private jet.
One MP said Prince Andrew had displayed "extraordinary crassness" after
he was pictured disembarking from the aircraft on his way to visit the
Mumbai slum.
The Dharavi area of the city, setting for the hit film Slumdog
Millionaire, is home to some of the world's poorest people.
But Andrew chose to fly to Mumbai in a jet hired at taxpayers' expense,
as part of an official tour of India to mark the Queen's Diamond
Jubilee, it was reported. The cost of his travel around the country has
been estimated at £80,000.
Labour MP Paul Flynn accused the prince of behaving "as if he were
living in the days of the Raj".
"Jetting into a slum on a private jet sends out a terrible message
about this country," Mr Flynn added. "It is an act of quite
extraordinary crassness to spray money around in this way in an area
where people live in such poverty."
The royal, known as "Airmiles Andy" because of his apparent fondness
for lavish foreign trips, has also come under fire over claims that he
turned down the option of staying at the British high commissioner's
residence in Delhi during the tour.
Several senior royals including Prince Charles have stayed at the
Lutyens-designed residence but Andrew is said to have insisted on
spending three nights at one of the city's most expensive hotels, with
taxpayers footing the £3,000 bill.
Mr Flynn, MP for Newport West, told the Daily Mail that the Duke's
hotel bill was "a scandalous waste of public funds", adding: "To ask
taxpayers to foot the bill for a hotel where perfectly good
accommodation was already available is unacceptable.
"How long will Prince Andrew be allowed to go on embarrassing the
country at taxpayers' expense?"
Jonathan Isaby of the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "A significant amount
ot British taxpayers' money funds the high commissioner's residence
precisely so that visiting dignitaries from the UK can be put up at no
additional cost."
A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed that the costs of the prince's
travel were being met by the taxpayer and that because he was
travelling to six cities in six days, the private jet was thought to be
the most appropriate mode of transport.
"As with all official royal visits, this trip is sponsored and funded
by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Travel costs are met by the
sovereign grant [which has replaced the civil list]he Telegraph UK (May
7,2012)
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