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‘Eco-warriors’ Meghan Markle and Prince Harry fly on private jet again to France after gas-guzzling Ibiza trip
ECO-WARRIOR royals Harry and Meghan left a huge carbon footprint when they took a private jet to the South of France two days after their flight to Ibiza.
The trip to Nice created seven times more carbon emissions per person than a commercial flight.
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The couple arrived on the French Riviera on Wednesday aboard a 12-seater Cessna aircraft that would cost more than £20,000 to hire.
There are more than 20 scheduled departures from London airports to Nice each Wednesday.
An easyJet return flight from London airports to Nice next Wednesday is currently £232 per person.
Meghan, 38 — in a white blouse and cream sun hat — cradled baby Archie as she left their plane, registered to luxury firm Net Jets.
Prince Harry, 34 — wearing a green polo shirt, blue cap and shades — then emerged from the Cessna Citation Sovereign as airport officials and royal security waited on the tarmac.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s holiday is their second European jaunt on a private plane this month. They flew into the new hypocrisy row just two days after returning from Ibiza.
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JET-SET ROYALS
The Sun told on Thursday how the pair had been slammed over their flight to the Spanish isle — where they stayed in a villa.
Both incidents come just weeks after Harry — who has vowed to cut their carbon footprint — was blasted over private jet travel to Sicily for a Google summit on the climate.
The couple set off for France on Wednesday morning.
They travelled 20 miles from Windsor to private Farnborough Airport, Hants where they boarded the £15million Cessna.
Prince Harry, Meghan and three-month-old Archie — pictured in May — were then snapped arriving in Nice.
As he disembarked, Harry seemed to be trying to avoid being seen as he stared towards the ground.
A woman — dressed in black and with braided hair and thought to be a royal aide — also emerged from the plane.
Security guards were then seen loading a Mercedes people carrier which was waiting for the royal visitors beside a police van.
Harry, Meghan and Archie — accompanied by minders — were then whisked straight from the tarmac in a business section of the airport in the blacked-out Merc.
They were then holed up in a private villa overlooking the sun-kissed Mediterranean.
On Saturday night it was unclear whether they were still on the Riviera, or had jetted back to the UK.
The plane which took the royals to Nice was recorded as leaving the airport at the French city and returning to Farnborough — landing shortly after 4.15pm yesterday.
MEG & HARRY 'HYPOCRISY'
On Saturday night Labour MP Teresa Pearce called on Harry and Meghan to “lead by example” on environmental issues.
Ms Pearce said: “Given the position they have taken publicly about being responsible on climate change, this does seem an anomaly which they should look at.
“It’s up to all of us to cut our carbon emissions, and the number of flights we take a year.
“That is really important — and someone as high profile as that should lead by example.
“I find this quite surprising because it doesn’t fit with their public image and the way they’re so concerned about the planet and the environment.”
Two weeks ago, Prince Harry said in a Vogue Magazine interview with conservationist Jane Goodall that he and Meghan would have only two children due to environmental concerns. In the issue — guest edited by Meghan — Harry said he and his wife had planned for “two, maximum”.
The Prince added: “I’ve always thought, this place is borrowed.
“And, surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation.”
Harry — who has warned of the “terrifying” effects of climate change — said in an Instagram post in July: “With nearly 7.7 billion people inhabiting this Earth, every choice, every footprint, every action makes a difference.”
And in March, he gave a powerful speech at WE Day — a celebration of young people making a difference — urging his generation to make a change.
He said: “Climate change is a humanitarian issue not a political one, and one where we’ve been far too slow in waking up to the issues and acting on the damaging impact our ways of living are having on the world. We now have the facts, the science, the technology and the ability to save not just our planet but ourselves. You don’t just sit back and wait for solutions, you take action and create them.”
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SUSSEXES' CARBON FOOTPRINT
The carbon footprint of an average Brit is around 13 tonnes per year. Harry and Meghan’s trip to France is estimated to have had a footprint of just over three tonnes.
Their earlier Ibiza jaunt had a footprint of more than four tonnes.
Each Wednesday there are nine direct, business-class flights to Nice from London airports – and more than 20 planes with economy seats available.
Harry, Meghan and Archie flew to Ibiza on Tuesday August 6 by private jet and returned on Monday August 12. That trip was Archie’s first holiday abroad and timed to mark Meghan’s birthday.
The royals are thought to have spent two nights at their Frogmore Cottage home in the grounds of Windsor Castle before hiring another private jet to the French Riviera.
Sixth in line to the throne Harry was also criticised for travelling on a private jet to Sicily for the celebrity-filled Google Camp at the end of July.
He is also believed to have used a helicopter to transfer to the event and stayed overnight on a gas-guzzling private yacht.
At the event — also attended by Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper — Harry is said to have delivered a speech on climate change barefoot.
HOW OTHER ROYALS FLY
In the past, royals have travelled in VIP areas of scheduled flights — and on budget airlines. In 2012, Harry surprised fellow travellers by flying to Transylvania on budget airline Wizz Air from Luton.
In 2015, Prince William flew by Ryanair to Scotland.
He also flew economy with wife Kate on Flybe in 2011 for Zara Philips’ wedding to Mike Tindall.
Ex-royal protection officer Ken Wharfe criticised Harry and Meghan over their private jets.
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Mr Wharfe — who guarded Princess Diana and William and Harry in the 1990s — said: “During my time at the palace most of the flights we took were commercial on British Airways. You’re better off with BA security because they’re used to working with VIPs.
“Frankly it’s hypocritical. Harry can’t be preaching about the catastrophic effects of climate change while jetting around the world on a private plane.”
A royal source said Harry and Meghan would have paid for their own transport as it was a private journey. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
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Ingrid Seward says
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a decision to make.
Either they can continue lecturing the world about fighting climate change — or they can carry on using gas-guzzling private jets.
They are not Hollywood stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, who does the same, but members of a royal family who are duty bound to practise what they preach. So they cannot keep using PJs, as they call them, without looking like hypocrites.
Sometimes they may need to be somewhere at a certain time for work duties, but a holiday is different. William and Kate regularly take commercial flights with their children to places like Mustique.
Royals can have two rows of first class sectioned off and can board last minute.
Harry and Meghan need to think of the damage their behaviour is doing not only to the ozone layer but to themselves.
- Ingrid Seward is the Editor in Chief of Majesty Magazine
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