King Charles has sparked speculation that his disgraced brother Andrew could be exiled to Bahrain, after being flown by helicopter to a secret summit with the Gulf state’s monarch
King Charles has sparked rumours he may be planning to send his disgraced brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to the Middle East after being flown by helicopter to a secret meeting with the Gulf state’s monarch. This comes just days after stripping his 65-year-old sibling of his royal titles and home.
The royal patriarch was reportedly whisked by helicopter to a secret meeting in the Cotswolds with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. This fuelled suspicions that former Prince Andrew could soon be heading for a new life on the Gulf island.
The private talks reportedly took place at King Hamad’s lavish Oxfordshire estate on November 11, less than two weeks after Andrew lost both his royal titles and his Windsor home.
Palace insiders were quick to downplay the meeting’s significance, insisting it was simply “a private meeting between two old friends” and that “the Andrew question was not on the agenda”, the Daily Mail reported. However, sources claim the timing only adds fuel to speculation that Andrew is considering a move to Bahrain.
The Middle Eastern country was a former British protectorate until 1971. Moreover, it is a country where Andrew has previously shown interest in relocating.
In 2022, Andrew, then still a prince, visited Bahrain in secret amid claims he was eyeing an unofficial role as intermediary between the West and Gulf states in the energy crisis, LBC reported at the time. Insiders have suggested that Andrew “fancies his chances” of returning to his former position as a government special representative for international trade and investment, with hopes that he might even try to convince Saudi Arabia to boost its oil output.
Nevertheless, Andrew has been consistently criticised for his close relationship with Bahrain’s royal family, given the country’s poor human rights record and allegations of political repression.
In 2014, ahead of a Bahrain promotional event at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre with Andrew, a human rights activist told the Independent: “Every time the Government sells weapons and every time the Royal Family meets the Bahraini government we are not just giving them military support, we are giving them political support. It legitimises an oppressive and illegitimate regime.”
Unlike Britain, Bahrain does not have an extradition treaty with the US, where Andrew has failed to respond to Congressional requests for testimony about his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Since his days as a UK trade envoy, Andrew has been a frequent visitor to Bahrain, with sources saying he enjoys “being fussed over and made to feel royal again”.
The Duke of York is reportedly said to be close to both King Hamad and his son, Crown Prince Salman. But the member of the royal family’s presence hasn’t been appreciated by all.
Simon Wilson, Britain’s former deputy head of mission in Bahrain, once said Andrew was “more commonly known among the British diplomatic community in the Gulf as HBH: His Buffoon Highness”, as per the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, leaked US diplomatic cables revealed an American ambassador described the prince as “rude” and “cocky”.
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