Prince Harry: Is it true he flies in private jets despite his speeches on climate change?

The entire British royal family is vocal about climate change. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in particular, are seen advocating the cause at many places and were even invited to the United Nations earlier this week for the same cause. However, it seems like the Sussexes are being bashed for their hypocrisy on the subject, despite flying ‘commercially’ to New York.

Pause for a cause?

Prince Harry’s most recent speech at the U.N. on Monday honouring Nelson Mandela International Day focused heavily on climate change. Newsweek confirms his speech focused on how the climate is ‘wreaking havoc’ on the earth and particularly harsh on the most vulnerable people. This has led many people to criticise Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for their hypocrisy as they travel in private jets.

For instance, Broadcaster Piers Morgan commented:

It takes a special kind of brazen brass neck to stand up at the United Nations in New York, as he did today, and lecture the world about climate change when you constantly use luxury gas-guzzling private jets like a taxi service.

Political commentator Meghan McCain also added:

Prince Harry is a hypocrite. Like so many others who spread the religion of climate change, he flies around the world on a carbon-spewing private jet.

Only when needed!

While Prince Harry is slammed for his possible double standard on the subject, he insists that things are not the way it seems. In 2019, he founded Travalyst – an eco-travel initiative that supports sustainable tourism and he flew commercially to New York for the UN event. Prince Harry addressed this at an event in Amsterdam and said:

I spend 99% of my life travelling the world by commercial. Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe, and it's genuinely as simple as that.

For me, it is balance. And, if I have to do that—not a decision that I would want to take, but if I have to do that—then I would ensure, as I have done previously and I will continue to make sure that I do is to balance out that impact that I have.

Meanwhile Nelson Mandela's grandson Ndaba Mandela argues:

I think it's time we hold our leaders accountable and really let them put their money where their mouth is and say if they truly believe in climate change—whether it be Prince Harry or whether it be a head of state—people need to be held accountable.

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