As a tax payer, it really is comforting to know the following:
Prince Andrew could attempt to become a professional golfer after managing to get his handicap down to four.
The fourth in line to the throne could now apply to the Professional Golfers Association to take up the sport full-time, to become either a teaching professional or to compete on one of the professional circuits.
...Andrew's love of golf has drawn criticism in the past. Labour MP Tony Banks called him a "useless, overweight parasite" for hiring a private jet to attend The Open, while he once asked the RAF to fly him to St Andrews at a reported cost of £32,000.
Showing posts with label Royalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Royalty. Show all posts
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday, April 21, 2008
You couldn't make it up - Prince William lands Chinook helicopter next to girlfriend's home
It's a tricky one for the Ministry of Defence, but I think they have just about explained sufficiently (below) why Prince William landed a Chinook helicopter next to his girlfriend's home at Bucklebury, Berkshire.
This escapade comes under the heading of "you couldn't make it up". The Chinook is a massive, relatively noisy flying machine (below). Bucklebury (below) is a quiet, relatively densely populated rural village (Chris Tarrant estalished a second home there, leading to his estranged wife referring to the village with an "F" instead of the "B" at the start of its name). The idea of Prince William landing such a helicopter by his girlfriend's house there just seems astonishing.
...the MoD...told newburytoday that the trip had been planned and fully authorised as an agreed part of Prince William’s attachment to the RAF.They confirmed that the aircraft landed for 20 seconds, taking all necessary precautions. No-one left or boarded the aircraft.A spokesman for the MoD, Nick Manning, said: “Battlefield helicopter crews routinely practice landing in fields and confined spaces away from their airfields as a vital part of their training for operations. These highly honed skills are used daily in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. “Helicopter bases continually seek permission from land owners to use their fields and there are only two fields permanently available in Hampshire. Opportunities to use alternatives are therefore regularly seized. “This was very much a routine training sortie that achieved essential training objectives.”The Prince took off from RAF Odiham in Hampshire during a 100-mile, two-hour training exercise, according to the newspaper. The report claims Prince William came up with the idea himself and asked permission from Miss Middleton’s family, claiming a shortage of landing spots in Hampshire.
A Chinook helicopter
Bucklebury
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Prince Andrew: International Golf ambassador ?
How the heck can Prince Andrew act effectively as a roving trade ambassador for the UK, if, over the last year, hasn't exchanged a single item of correspondence with the government's Trade department ?
The Observer's Pendennis writes:
(Prince Andrew) faces outrage over his lack of communication with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (previously the Department for Trade and Industry) not simply over this trip, but over everything he does in his capacity as Britain's roving trade representative. He has held the position since 2001.
A request for information made by this column under the Freedom of Information Act has drawn the staggering admission that between 1 January 2007 and the beginning of this year, there was no correspondence whatsoever between the Duke of York and ministers or officials at the department. The duke's website says: 'Working with government, and in particular UK Trade and Investment [UKTI], the duke's job involves promoting the UK as an attractive inward investment destination for foreign investors, creating more positive business conditions for British businesses investing overseas and helping UK companies export their products to emerging and established markets.' If he has not exchanged any written information with UKTI in the last year, questions are bound to be asked about his suitability for the role.
No wonder our little terrier, Norman Baker, says:
If he has this role, he needs to be briefed by and to brief the department. Six-figure sums are regularly paid for his transport and there have been suggestions before that he takes advantage of it to play golf around the world. Your information will increase this suspicion.
The Observer's Pendennis writes:
(Prince Andrew) faces outrage over his lack of communication with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (previously the Department for Trade and Industry) not simply over this trip, but over everything he does in his capacity as Britain's roving trade representative. He has held the position since 2001.
A request for information made by this column under the Freedom of Information Act has drawn the staggering admission that between 1 January 2007 and the beginning of this year, there was no correspondence whatsoever between the Duke of York and ministers or officials at the department. The duke's website says: 'Working with government, and in particular UK Trade and Investment [UKTI], the duke's job involves promoting the UK as an attractive inward investment destination for foreign investors, creating more positive business conditions for British businesses investing overseas and helping UK companies export their products to emerging and established markets.' If he has not exchanged any written information with UKTI in the last year, questions are bound to be asked about his suitability for the role.
No wonder our little terrier, Norman Baker, says:
If he has this role, he needs to be briefed by and to brief the department. Six-figure sums are regularly paid for his transport and there have been suggestions before that he takes advantage of it to play golf around the world. Your information will increase this suspicion.
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