Royal Watch News

Prince Harry striving to keep tour costs down

Feb 6, 2012, 18:33 GMT

Prince Harry

Prince Harry is striving to keep the costs down for his upcoming solo royal tour.
The 27-year-old prince will travel to the Caribbean islands of Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica to celebrate his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in March before visiting Brazil on a trade mission for the Government and he is reportedly worried about the cost to the taxpayer.
Harry's private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton said: 'The flights to and from the Caribbean will be scheduled, commercial, as will the flights to and from and within Brazil. The flights between each of the Caribbean Realms will be on a charter aircraft. To make these journeys on scheduled flights directly between the countries is impossible. Every effort is being made to keep the plane as small as possible and costs down.
'The host Governments of Belize, The Bahamas and Jamaica are kindly paying for all in-country costs, but all the flights on the tour, including the charter aircraft, are being paid for by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.'
Harry is also taking a small entourage with him to reduce costs including Mr. Lowther-Pinkerton, his advisor Sir David Manning, Press Secretary Miguel Head and a press officer and an orderly to help with logistics.
Harry often takes budget airline EasyJet when he travels, flying back to London from his cousin Zara Phillip's wedding in Edinburgh last July and more recently for a winter skiing break in Geneva, Switzerland.