Prince Edward was tonight slammed for a ‘blatant abuse of public money’ after taking a private jet costing taxpayers an estimated £37,000 for a 133-mile journey between engagements.
The Queen’s youngest son, 54, travelled between Poole in Dorset and Tamworth, Staffordshire, to attend an event marking the death 1,100 years ago of Anglo-Saxon ruler Aethelflaed.
The normal hire cost of the plane to do the journey from Dorset to Birmingham airport would be £37,150 for a one-way trip. A first-class train ticket would have cost around £250-per-person.
Prince Edward was seen arriving at Birmingham airport in a private jet today ahead of a commemoration service
Prince Edward used a private jet to travel between Poole and Tamworth, a distance of 130miles
Tonight Graham Smith from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic blasted The Earl of Wessex’s ‘extravagance’ with public funds.
He told MailOnline: ‘This is a blatant abuse of public money. If that were an MP they’d be in serious hot water.
‘We need to look more seriously at the extravagance of the royals. He should be taking public transport or cars at a fraction of the cost.’
It is believed Edward flew from Bournemouth airport to Birmingham after an engagement in Poole, Dorset. An anytime first class ticket between Poole and Tamworth would have set the royal back just £254 – 0.7 per cent of the estimated private jet fare between the two airports.
It is believed Prince Edward flew between Bournemouth and Birmingham on the jet at a cost of up to £37,000
Graham Smith from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic blasted The Earl of Wessex, pictured here at the royal wedding, for his ‘extravagance’ with public funds
Speaking to the MailOnline a palace spokesperson said: ‘The Earl of Wessex is undertaking a three day programme of events, including a national service of commemoration, and engagements in support of the DofE.
‘As ever, security, effective use of time, and the need to minimise disruption to others is taken into account when decisions are taken about transport.’
The three-day programme will be focussed around Dorset, with Prince Edward visiting Sunseeker International, a luxury yacht company, this afternoon, before attending dinner at Brownsea Castle.
Tomorrow he will visit Canford School in Wimborne, and on Thursday he will visit the Canford Real Tennis and Squash Club.
Edward missed Trooping the Colour on Saturday after returning from a visit to Hong Kong on the same day.
However, his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, and daughter Lady Louise, 14, both attended the traditional parade marking the Queen’s birthday.
Edward’s medals could be seen on display as he was driven from the airport to the service today.
He was attending a service at Tamworth’s at St Editha’s Church to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed, who ruled the ancient kingdom of Mercia for seven years from the year 911 until her death.
She was the eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, who was King of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex.
The Earl of Wessex, 54, was driven away in a Jaguar after touching down in the plane
Edward was in the West Midlands to attend a service to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia
The Earl of Wessex was seen being driven away in a Jaguar with his medals on display
He was being driven to the ceremony at St Editha’s Church in nearby Tamworth
A number of events have been held to commemorate Aethelflaed’s death, including a funeral procession through Gloucester earlier this week.
Edward has had a busy start to the month, spending four days in China and Hong Kong last week.
He arrived in Beijing last Tuesday, where he conducted a series of engagements, including attending a reception for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
The Earl went on to Shanghai last Wednesday, where he visited a school, before going on to Hong Kong.
Edward arrived back in London on Saturday morning, which is why he did not attend Trooping the Colour with the rest of the royal family.
However, he was present at Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding at Windsor Castle in May, along with wife Sophie and children Lady Louise and James Viscount Severn, 10.
Edward’s wife Sophie has also been busy in the past week, meeting patients at Leeds Children’s Hospital yesterday.
The Countess of Wessex later attended a charity reception and dinner at Harewood House.
Edward’s wife Sophie, 53, has had a busy week, attending a charity reception at Harewood House in Leeds on Tuesday night
Sophie attended Trooping the Colour on Saturday without Edward, who had just returned from a trip to Hong Kong
Their daughter Lady Louise, 14, also took part in the traditional parade on Saturday