Scottish Daily Mail

Andrew f lies World Bank boss in for golf – and it costs you £5k

- By Rebecca English Royal Correspond­ent r.english@dailymail.co.uk

PRINCE Andrew spent £5,000 of public funds to fly the president of the World Bank to the Kent coast for a game of golf.

The Queen’s son used a taxpayerfu­nded helicopter to take Jim Yong Kim to the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Deal on Sunday.

The aircraft is one of two made available to members of the Royal Family for travelling to official engagement­s, the cost of which is met by government grants given to the Queen each year.

The helicopter picked up the Duke of York from his home in Windsor Great Park, waited for the pair to enjoy their round and then returned at a cost of around £5,000. Andrew had no other official engagement­s that day, which raises the question of why he chose not to make the 112-mile, two-hour journey by car.

Buckingham Palace declined to say how he knows Washington­based Dr Kim, 56, whether they had met before or what the Duke hoped to achieve by the day out.

The prince, who now has no official royal role, has faced repeated criticism for his use of taxpayerfu­nded helicopter­s. Details of Sunday’s trip were not listed in Monday’s Court Circular, the official record of royal engagement­s. It was listed yesterday, however, after the Mail inquired about the jaunt.

Andrew, sixth in line to the throne, took up golf shortly after becoming an officer in the Navy in 1979. But after leaving in 2001 to become a full-time royal his game has become so good he has a reported handicap of four – meaning he could take up the sport profession­ally.

One PGA pro said in 2009: ‘You can’t become that good unless you are totally committed and get out playing as regularly as possible.’ Andrew is now official patron of the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, which was founded in 1892. However, his passion for the sport has often attracted controvers­y, particular­ly over its perceived expense to the taxpayer.

In 2001, he spent £10,000 using the Queen’s flight to watch The Open in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, while in 2004 he snubbed D-Day anniversar­y celebratio­ns in France to attend a golfing dinner at St Andrews. The following year he spent £32,000 using the RAF to fly him to St Andrews.

Bank chief Dr Kim, named the world’s 45th most powerful person by Forbes Magazine in 2015, is also a keen golfer with an equally impressive handicap. The South Koreanreno­wned born physician and anthropolo­gist has led the World Bank since 2012.

Establishe­d in 1944 to help rebuild post-war Europe, the US-based organisati­on provides low-interest loans, credits and grants to developing countries. Dr Kim, a humanitari­an, was nominated for the post by Barack Obama, who has also praised his golfing prowess.

A spokesman for the World Bank said its president was in Europe for meetings and had an ‘informal engagement’ with the prince.

Buckingham Palace yesterday refused to reveal what Andrew was doing on an official engagement and said the use of the helicopter had been necessary.

A statement added: ‘They are only used after the applicatio­n of clear and long-establishe­d criteria, approved by Buckingham Palace, which includes the best balance of security, efficiency and minimising disruption to the public. On some occasions, when all factors are considered, the helicopter­s provided the best option for travel.’ According to his own website, the Duke is a full-time working royal who helps ‘promote economic growth and skilled job creation’ in the UK.

It follows a ten-year tenure as the UK’s special representa­tive for internatio­nal trade, when he earned the nickname ‘Air Miles Andy’ following accusation­s he was wasting taxpayers’ money chartering private jets. He has also been the subject of scrutiny amid fears he was ‘cashing-in’ on connection­s with wealthy trading partners.

The cost of his official travel comes from the sovereign grant, which the Government gives the Queen each year to fund her official work.

‘Best option for travel’

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