Jew World Order

By
Katherine Faulkner

PUBLISHED:

05:45 EST, 6 May 2012

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UPDATED:

09:02 EST, 7 May 2012

Prince Andrew has been accused of ‘extraordinary crassness’ after jetting into an Indian slum on a private plane, but his former wife, Sarah Ferguson has taken to her Twitter page again to praise him for the controversial trip.

The Duke of York has been visiting Mumbai’s Dharavi slum – the setting for the hit film Slumdog Millionaire – as part of an official tour of India to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

‘Welcome back the The Duke from India.
Congrats to his team for a gruelling trip. It was his idea many months
ago to visit Kohima,’ The Duchess of York wrote on the social networking site last night. 

Pomp and circumstance: The Duke of York disembarks from his private jet at Dimapur airport on Tuesday as part of the trip which took in a visit to the Mumbai slums

Tour: Prince Andrew was given a tour of India to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

During his visit, Prince Andrew went to the Kohima War Cemetery and laid a wreath to show his respects.

It’s not the first time she has offered her praise during his trip – last week she told her Twitter followers Prince Andrew, is a ‘hit’ in the country.

‘I am so proud of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York for succeeding in a gruellingly busy trip to India.’

She continued: ‘Great Britain should know of his commitment and hard work to this country!’

‘The Duke has been a hit in India and has made such an impact on behalf of the UK. India is so taken by him,’ tweeted Sarah.

Praise: Sarah Ferguson’s supportive tweet about her former husband Prince Andrew

Support: It’s not the first time she has offered her praise during his trip – last week she told her Twitter followers Prince Andrew, is a ‘hit’ in the country

But last night it emerged he had chosen
to fly to the home of some of the world’s poorest people in a private
plane he chartered at taxpayers’ expense.

The cost of Prince Andrew’s travel around India during his trip is thought to have been around £80,000. 

Andrew, whose fondness for lavish taxpayer-funded trips has earned him the nickname ‘Airmiles Andy’, is also facing criticism for snubbing free accommodation during last week’s visit in favour of an expensive hotel suite.

Medals: Prince Andrew in ceremonial Navy dress

He is understood to have refused to stay at the British high commissioner’s luxury residence, opting instead to spend three nights in an opulent suite at one of Delhi’s most expensive hotels, leaving taxpayers to foot his £3,000 bill.

Last night Labour MP Paul Flynn accused Prince Andrew of behaving ‘as if he were living in the days of the Raj’.

‘Jetting into a slum on a private plane sends out a terrible message about this country,’ Mr Flynn said.

‘It is an act of quite extraordinary crassness to spray money around in this way in an area where people live in such poverty.’

Mr Flynn, Labour MP for Newport West, added that the Duke’s hotel bill was ‘a scandalous waste of public funds’.

‘To ask taxpayers to foot the bill for a hotel where perfectly  good accommodation was already available is unacceptable,’ Mr Flynn said.

‘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 of 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.’

After travelling to India first class on a British Airways flight, the Duke is understood to have demanded a private plane for all his travel within India, claiming his itinerary was ‘too hectic’ for him to travel on any of the many scheduled flights between India’s main cities.

The Indian high commissioner’s bungalow, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, has accommodated several senior royals, including Prince Charles in 2010.

The Duke of York chose to stay the the luxurious Leela Palace in New Delhi instead of at the British High Commissioner’s residence

A glimpse of the Maharaja Suite which has bullet proof windows and a private elevator as well as a spa, jacuzzi and dining room

Prince Andrew’s suite included access to the hotel’s chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, pictured, and a 24-hour butler

The luxurious Rooftop Italian Restaurant at the hotel however, Andrew chose to dine privately in his suite with aides

Visit: The Duke views a kiln in the Dharavi slum during his tour of the sub continent

But Andrew is understood to have instead demanded the Maharaja suite at Delhi’s exclusive Leela Palace hotel.

The
4,425 sq ft suite, described by the hotel as ‘utopian’, has its own spa
rooms, a Jacuzzi, walk-in wardrobes and a private gym.

It boasts a private dining area, where Andrew is believed to have ordered room service for himself and his staff.

The suite even comes with a complimentary chauffeured Rolls-Royce, while a personal butler was on hand 24 hours a day to assist the Duke’s own staff in ensuring his comfort.

The normal cost of such a suite at the Leela Palace would be around £6,400 a night, but the Duke of York is understood to have received a substantial discount, reducing the total bill to £3,000.

On the first day of his tour, Prince Andrew reportedly turned up late to a garden party before snubbing reporters.

The Duke of York clearly enjoyed his time in India and laughed with a group of young girls in a children’s home in Calcutta

He got stuck in and the girls showed him how to do ‘block printing’ at the home called Nijoloy, where the some of the girls are victims of human trafficing, while others are HIV positive

Some journalists were allegedly
escorted from the premises for trying to talk to him, with his spokesman
reported to have told them: ‘The royalty doesn’t talk to the press.’

The next day the Hindustan Times, one of India’s leading newspapers, ran the headline ‘Duke Andrew gives the royal ignore’.

Palace officials strongly denied that he
was late, that reporters were escorted out for trying to talk to him or
that they were told ‘the royalty doesn’t talk to the press’.

Meanwhile, in Britain, his week-long
visit became the focus of ridicule after his ex-wife tweeted about his
‘gruellingly busy’ schedule.

‘The Duke has been a hit in India and
has made such an impact  on behalf of the UK,’ the Duchess of York
wrote. ‘India is so taken by him.

‘Great Britain should know of his committment (sic) and hard work to this country!’

Her
remarks sparked dozens of online comments. One wrote: ‘Must have been
really hard for him. Poor bugger.’ Another asked the Duchess: ‘Are you
being paid for this?’

Last night Buckingham Palace confirmed that the costs of Andrew’s travel were funded by the taxpayer.

A
spokesman said that, because the Duke travelled to six cities in six
days, the private jet was felt  to be the most appropriate method of
transport.

‘As with all
official royal visits, this trip is sponsored and funded by the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office,’ the spokesman said.

‘Travel costs are met by the sovereign grant [which has replaced the civil list].’

The Duke of York also visited the Indian aircraft carrier INS Viraat at the Western Naval comman in Mumbai

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