Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor 'planning Middle East move' before February arrest
Disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was reportedly "getting his passport ready" to flee the UK for the Middle East when he was arrested, according to reports today.It's claimed Andrew, who was stripped of royal titles and honours last year, was preparing to relocate to either Bahrain or Abu Dhabi in an attempt to reinvent himself when an urgent tip-off to a senior courtier resulted in his arrest in February, The Mirror reports.The 66 year old has since been released under investigation but, with bombs and missiles falling across the region daily, any remaining hopes of reinventing himself amongst the Arab elite appear to have been crushed. Now, Donald Trump is believed to be preparing for his "big one" offensive against Iran as the conflict there escalates.Want to see more of the stories you love from the Irish Mirror? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives... To add Irish Mirror as a preferred source, simply click here.Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson maintains her own connections in the Middle East and she, alongside Andrew, was removed from the Royal Lodge last year. A source said: "There is no way any of them are going to go to the Gulf and Middle East region for a long time to come. It is far too dangerous for them, just as it is for everybody else."It marks another setback for the father-of-two, who reportedly feels it is "deeply unfair that people have turned on him" following the Jeffrey Epstein files controversy. The ex-duke, who flew helicopters with the Royal Navy, strongly refutes any misconduct.A British diplomatic insider who previously mixed with the Yorks in the Gulf region, revealed to the Daily Mail: "It's inconceivable that they'll be visiting the region now, certainly not while the war is going on and it could, of course, be an indefinite war."Andrew had long understood that the Middle East - with its wealthy sheikhs and emirs - represented a potentially profitable source of income, both for himself and those in his network.His connections to Abu Dhabi's ruling family stretch back to his days at Gordonstoun, the Scottish independent school, where he befriended Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, currently the UAE president and referred to by Andrew as MBZ. His dynasty ranks among the wealthiest globally, with an estimated fortune of £225 billion.They also possess a substantial London property portfolio and control a majority shareholding in Manchester City Football Club.Andrew's relationships became especially beneficial in 2001 when, following his departure from the Royal Navy, he secured the position of UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment - a post detractors suggest he subsequently exploited for personal financial gain. Andrew refutes any wrongdoing.
