Prince Andrew criticised over US trip that coincides with Princess Eugenie's arrival in New York A spokesman for the Duchess said: "Their schedules worked so they were both able to be there at the time that Eugenie was moving to New York. If the Duke was there at the same time it would have been because he wanted to be there when his daughter was moving away for a year. Buckingham Palace, however, insisted the timing of the Duke's visit was a coincidence, saying he was in New York primarily to attend the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard and Airmen's Club ball. He has also attended a lunch at the British consul's residence and a forum for entrepreneurs. Princess Eugenie, 23, has just started her new job working for the fine art auctioneer Paddle8, run by old Etonian Alexander Gilkes. The first leg of the Duke's globe-circling trip was entirely funded by the taxpayer. Since he left Indonesia, the Duke's expenses and those of his personal staff travelling with him have been partly paid by the Duke and partly by the Royal United Services Institute, which he has been representing, but the cost of his Scotland Yard bodyguards is taxpayer-funded at all times. The golf-loving Duke has managed to fit plenty of down time into his schedule - between Sep 18 and Sep 29 he carried out engagements on four days in Vietnam and Indonesia, but had eight days of "private time." Buckingham Palace has refused to say what he was doing on his numerous days off. The Duke resigned from his role as the UK's trade ambassador in 2011 following a series of scandals over his business contacts, but he continues to make long-haul trips at public expense. The Labour MP Paul Flynn said: "It seems extraordinary that Prince Andrew is still allowed to plunder the public coffers. If he is on a trip visiting his family obviously he should pay the full cost of that himself, including security. Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the Taxpayers" Alliance, said: "Taxpayers will wonder why they are paying for the Prince's gallivanting across the globe, given that he is no longer a UK trade envoy. Even if part of the journey is privately funded, the timing of it is sure to raise eyebrows. With all the necessary protection costs paid for by taxpayers, it's time Prince Andrew reduced the bill for his travelling. Until his latest world tour, the Duke appeared to be reducing his travelling. Having clocked up 77,000 miles in his final year as trade ambassador and 93,500 miles the year after he gave up the job, his travelling had been cut by almost two thirds in 2012/13 to 37,000 miles. He will, however, have travelled 21,625 miles in less than three weeks by the time he returns to London from his current trip. The issue of royal spending, including the cost of royal travel, will be scrutinised on Oct 14 when Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, will appear before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.