Disgraced Andrew tipped to vanish from public life and live in 6-bed Abu Dhabi palace with Fort Knox-like security’
Royal experts say Prince Andrew is now so hated in the UK that he will move abroad. One nation is top of the list, thanks to an offer from a billionaire ruler.
Shamed Andrew Windsor will vanish from public view in an Arabian palace with Fort Knox-style security, royal-watchers have predicted.
He is being evicted from his Royal Lodge home and will move to a private residence on the King’s Sandringham estate.
But royal experts reckon he is now so hated in the UK he will move abroad — with Abu Dhabi top of the list, thanks to the offer of a 16,000 sq ft palace from the emirate’s billionaire ruler.
The Sun visited his potential new home and witnessed the intense security which will allow him to live in luxury far from prying eyes.
His new pad has six ensuite airconditioned bedrooms, an indoor gym, pool, cinema and a huge kitchen staffed by cordon bleu chefs.
It sits on a heavily guarded private complex — home to five other palaces where a royal sheikh and government ministers live — and surrounded by a 30ft hedge.
There are only two entrances to the estate, both of which have a double layer of security.
A government-appointed guard operates a barrier to keep out the public and a second official is in a gatehouse to check the credentials of anyone who tries to enter.
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Only those who live there, their guests and staff with government-issued passes are allowed in.
Some of the palaces have helipads. Others enjoy direct access to the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf via private beaches.
An executive airport is nearby meaning the former Duke of York, once dubbed Airmiles Andy because of his love of a freebie, could easily jet in and out.
A worker at one of the palaces told The Sun: “The whole area is private and very secure. The public are not allowed in and there are cameras which log every vehicle which approaches.
“The area is effectively under the radar. We have not heard anything official yet about Andrew moving in but he would enjoy it here because it is very private.”
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The chance of a life of exile in Abu Dhabi is down to his long friendship with ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 64, known as MBZ.
The pair hit it off when Andrew, 65, began visiting the emirate in 2001 in his role as a trade envoy.
In 2011 it was revealed his family had received gifts from the emirate’s royal family including expensive jewellery for daughter Beatrice.
She has spoken at an energy conference in Abu Dhabi where she enjoyed a private meeting with MBZ, and in 2023 her sister Eugenie attended the F1 Grand Prix.
Andrew’s lifestyle is likely to go unchecked as the government censors the media to ensure there is no criticism of powerful figures.
Historian Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, said: “He would be happy living somewhere where the media is muzzled, where he will still be treated as a senior royal and where he can easily live under the radar.
“His personal relationships with young women are not likely to be scrutinised in Abu Dhabi.”
Andrew has hit rock bottom in the UK, having been stripped of his titles because of his links to pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
Royal biographer Andrew Morton told Times Radio: “I would predict that, if we’re speaking about this time next year, Andrew will probably live somewhere abroad.”
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission
