Andrew takes lavish vacation amid royal scandal

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been treated to a luxury weekend getaway in France as he attempts to shake off months of scrutiny back home.

The getaway marks the disgraced royal’s first overseas trip since he was arrested back in February. Despite having endured what is understood to have been the toughest year of his life, the 66-year-old appears to have put the storm behind him by spending the sunny weekend of May 30 to June 1 in a lavish, rural French hideaway.

It is believed Andrew took off from the UK on billionaire-funded private jet The resort Andrew has apparently used for his break in Brittany is a high-end, rural retreat that is close to the port city of Saint-Malo in northwest France.

The facility is privately run, owned by sportswear titan Mohammed A. Baker, who is believed to have hosted Andrew as a guest of honour for the weekend.

Andrew mounted a horse on one of the beaches near Saint-Malo as he enjoyed a peaceful break from his legal troublesBack in May, Andrew was seen riding horses and playing boules at the estate, while being catered for by a private chef preparing meals on request.

Arthur Desprez, a business owner with a horse stable just outside Brittany and French racehorse trainer, confirmed Andrew’s visit.

Mr Desprez said: “Andrew was the guest of Mohammed Baker .He stayed at his house.”

One French worker on a nearby farm told the former Duke of York remained tight-lipped about the trip, accompanied by just one guard. His French escape ended just days before Prince Andrew was photographed in the UK last week showing a big dark bruise on his face Andrew’s visit to France is the first time he has set foot abroad since being taken to a police station and arrested on the morning of February 19 – his 66th birthday.

He was arrested by officers from Thames Valley Police in relation to an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office. Those allegations came in the wake of thousands of pages of US Justice Department documents released to support an ongoing case against his socialite friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who acted as a fixer and go-between for the paedophile and sexual abuser, Jeffrey Epstein.

The documents include many pages that allegedly show the prince sharing information on confidential British trade documents with the notorious paedophile while serving as the UK’s envoy for trade between 2001 and 2011.

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Although the conduct could have been subject to common-law proceedings with a sentence of up to life in prison, Andrew was released under investigation on the day of his arrest and has not yet been charged.

He continues to deny all wrongdoing, stating his innocence throughout the whole saga.