Elton John defends the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, says they used his plane

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Elton John during the International Aids Conference on July 23, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images) |

I just… can’t believe that so many people were that worked up about the fact that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex went on a little summer break to the South of France. The Daily Mail really knows their audience, huh? As we discussed yesterday, Harry and Meghan (and Archie!) traveled to Nice, France last week. The Daily Mail, the Sun and other papers didn’t trust their readers enough to simply report that straight, without editorializing, so in every piece of coverage of the trip, there were so many choice words and phrases: gas-guzzling, hypocrites, luxury, billionaire, blah, you get it. The smear campaign continues, and as I also said yesterday – it would be one thing if we could have an honest conversation about how just MAYBE the optics are kind of bad for the Sussexes. But the British tabloids go overboard and what could have been a mild criticism turns into a full-fledged hate campaign.

Anyway, the biggest criticism THIS WEEK is that the Sussexes should never fly on private jets, I guess. The expense of it all, the carbon footprint, the hypocrisy, whatever – as we’ve seen before, they’ll climb up the Sussexes’ asses about literally anything and nothing. As it turns out, Elton John lent them his private plane and his French vacation home. Elton posted this on all of his social media:

I am deeply distressed by today’s distorted and malicious account in the press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at my home in Nice last week. Prince Harry’s Mother, Diana Princess Of Wales was one of my dearest friends. I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death.

After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight. To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™

I highly respect and applaud both Harry and Meghan’s commitment to charity and I’m calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis.

[From Elton John’s Facebook]

It’s looking more and more like this tabloid hissy fit was similar to the one several months ago, when Meghan went to New York for her baby shower. Meghan’s friends paid for the baby shower, and Meghan hitched a ride with Amal Clooney on the Clooneys’ plane. But the expense! The excess! The diva-ness! The sheer American gauche-ness. It’s just another reminder that the Sussexes can’t do anything without everyone throwing a f–king hissy fit about it.

Oh, and Ellen DeGeneres chimed in as well. She’s right.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (2nd R) chat with British singer-songwriter Elton John (C) as they arrive to attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London on July 14, 2019.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) greets Canadian producer David Furnish  (2nd L) as British singer-songwriter Elton John (C) speaks with Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as they arrive to attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London on July 14, 2019.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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261 Responses to “Elton John defends the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, says they used his plane”

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  1. Aenflex says:

    Thank you, Sir.

    • Arizona says:

      Yes. Go off, Elton and Ellen!

    • Ronaldinhio says:

      What other way will they travel? Where else will they go? Senior Royals with a new born have limited options. They all fly private usually. The hatred is because Meghan and Harry will not bend the knee to the Daily Mail
      Glad Sir Elton has burst forth with vitriol- who else can do so and have any traction?

      • Arpeggi says:

        I can’t bother to even google it, honestly, but I seem to remember that Charles had vowed to stop taking private jets and fly commercial (1st class, of course) after he got some backlash regarding jets vs his work on wildlife conservation somewhere in the 90s/early 00s.

        I won’t pick on H&M about it, especially if it was given to them but yeah, it’d be nice if we could get rid of private planes in general. I’m sure that there would be ways for the RFs to not have to go through the hassles of security clearance with commoners at the airport.

    • Bella DuPont says:

      As I said to a certain troll yesterday, M+H could have walked + swam their way through the entire trip and STILL get criticized for it, so whatever.

      I’m delighted that Elton John spoke up. It won’t make the tiniest difference with the press (in fact, might encourage them more)….but for the low information public, it’s really important that there’s some pushback at this level. It’s crucial, actually.

  2. Digital Unicorn says:

    This needs to stop but of course it won’t cause Andrew and his underage trafficked women. Gotta protect that fat, smug ass at all costs.

    • StarGreek says:

      Digital Unicorn, you’re in UK as well, right? It’s disgusting they are trying to bury Andrew’s crap under attacks against H&M.
      I am almost hoping this ends up destroying the monarchy. I am THAT angry.

  3. OriginalLala says:

    You’re right, it’s become nearly impossible to actually have a conversation about the excesses, optics, and wasteful lifestyles of the BRF without either the media going way overboard in one direction spewing vile, and super fans who want to ignore and excuse everything..or vice versa, depending on which Royals we’re talking about.

    Either way, the actual, legitimate conversation just get drowned out.

    • Nahema says:

      I’m with you all the way @OriginalLaLA

    • Becks1 says:

      I’m pretty pro Meghan, but I do agree with this. And I don’t think its just this particular story. There has been SUCH a smear campaign against Meghan for so long now that when there is a story about their using a private jet for the second time in 8 days (supposedly), its impossible to discuss it objectively because that story doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Its like what Kaiser and others were saying a few weeks ago about Meghan’s Vogue editorial. If you want to criticize something, you are reluctant to do so because she’s already getting it from ALL SIDES.

      • Enn says:

        Becks, I feel like I’ve been following you around since yesterday just nodding and agreeing, but you’re spot on.

      • StarGreek says:

        Yes Becks1, thanks for your comments and found myself agreeing with and nodding to what you say very often.

        On the other hand, as someone who lives in England but not in London or the South, I can assure you that nobody gives a fig about what Harry and Meghan do in the rest of UK.

        The Daily Fail and Sun are preaching to the choir there, and only winding up their racist pro-Brexit base. My mum lives in another country and thinks that the British tabloids have reached peak disgust with their smear campaign against Meghan, it is so crystal clear to anyone who is not an avid reader of the scummy tabloids.

      • Kiera says:

        My parents used to live in London, my dad is English and they both were telling me that as nasty as the British press has always been they are surprised at the vitriol directed at HM.

        I’m surprised that after 15 years of being divorced I finally found something they agree on!

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “If you want to criticize something, you are reluctant to do so because she’s already getting it from ALL SIDES.”

        @Becks1, You are so correct. What really needs to be discussed gets lost in the hatred of The Daily Fail.

      • Nahema says:

        @Becks1 I think you’re right and I agree with @StarGreek that in general, British people don’t care what the Sussex’s are up to. The whole Brexit thing started because the media influenced a certain section of the population with their xenophobia and anti-immigrant propaganda in a very similar way to how Trump got elected in the US. Meghan is now just a pawn in the continuation of that.

        It makes it really hard to have a rational conversation about them.

      • noway says:

        Now I’m American, and don’t really read much British tabloid press on Meghan & Harry. The US press has definitely been friendlier, but even I saw all this and then read some of the British tabloid press. It’s beyond ridiculously rude.
        I was commenting yesterday, and I kind of think it’s a bit like DiCaprio to me. Sure he does all these wonderful things for the environment, but then he does wasteful things too, and just seems a bit hypocritical or a bit counterproductive. Still that conversation, which is legit, gets drowned out cause it’s just too loud and rude. I actually felt bad after reading the stories about my legit comments, and anyone who wants to keep their sanity don’t read the comment sections on those tabloids. Sure it would be hard to transport a few month old baby which too many people want to see anywhere, so a part of me does get it. I think the best would have been to not do it right after her Vogue issue and the interviews all on their stand on the environment. As it does seem counter to the point she and Harry made. It’s more timing than anything. Still hardly a capital offense, and the coverage is over the top. Still, can I say the little outfit she had Archie in going on the plane was adorable. That was the best thing about reading the crazy tabloids.

    • duchess of hazard says:

      @OriginalLala – IA OriginalLala, IA.

    • Sarabe says:

      This whole situation is beyond ridiculous. Yes Harry and Meghan are excessive and wasteful, as is the rest of this royal family. I don’t think the “work” they do offsets their wasteful ways at all. But the way this has been turned into a huge story, now with other big celebrities involved is really unbelievable. The Daily Mail and other tabloids are probably super excited that Elton John decided to chime in, invoking Diana’s Death no less! Now this story can go on and on and on. I’m not saying he (and Ellen and anyone else) should not defend them or say whatever he feels like. Just that do you think some tabloid is going to be like omg Sir Elton is telling us off, and feel bad? No, they are salivating at the possibility of more stupid stories to milk out of this. Which brings me to my main question – to those of you who do read the tabloids like the Daily Mail, why do you do it?? Why do you give them clicks and ad revenues? They don’t know any decency, their whole point is to make money by exploiting the worst tendencies of the reader. It doesn’t matter what it is, right now it’s terrifyingly open hostility to immigrants, any minorities, women, anyone considered an outsider. This applies to British and American society both. Into this atmosphere, a biracial American marries into one of the whitest, most privileged and most redundant institutions in the world. And now the tabloids have so many avenues with which to bait the reader. It would really help if none of us ever clicked on any Daily Mail, the Sun, and similar sites ever again.

      • Myra says:

        Sarabe: This story was also printed and reported on by BBC, UK Times, uk Telegraph and picked up by major publications and media in the US including CNN, CBS and ABC. You don’t have to read the DM it’s all over the news!

      • StarGreek says:

        BBC (or Brexit Broadcast Corporation) has gone so downhill with their pro Brexit stance that I think of it the same I think of the other awful tabloids: they are all rubbish.

        Thank God our household doesn’t fund them anymore.

      • C-Shell says:

        @Sarabe — clicks really arouse the DM, for sure, and so I don’t click on anything having to do with the BRF or much of anything else honestly, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION — I am clicking on every single story about Andrew and Epstein. Every single story, even if I don’t read it. I want to encourage MORE salacious garbage about that disgusting prince and his baggage (looking at you Sarah Ferguson).

      • SSP says:

        I don’t understand why so many comments are about how you can’t discuss their flying habits bc of what the Daily Mail or their commenters write. I don’t read the DM nor their comments because I think this site’s commentators are sane and intelligent for the most part. So why argue with us over the DM? Also why comment that we shouldn’t talk about this topic on a post made about this topic? I don’t click on random posts and write about H&M bc it would be off topic. Why does Celebitcby cover it at all or enable comments if we can’t comment on it? There are plenty of Andrew articles and people can think about more than one thing at once.

        I am in the US though, I mostly see positive coverage of them.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @SSP, You make an excellent point.

      • Becks1 says:

        Because people are discussing their flying habits in the same breath as Andrew. And its NOT just the Daily Mail. Its all over twitter, half the IG comments on a Sussex post, I’m seeing the story in mainstream US publications.

        All the “noise” that people are using to justify their anger at their flying habits is just that – noise. Because 99% of it (maybe all of it) can be said of other royals who are NOT subjected to the level of vitriol and criticism that Harry and Meghan currently are being subjected to. THAT is why Elton John spoke out. Elton John didn’t speak out because commenters on the daily mail are mad.

      • jenny says:

        @SSP well said, I agree

      • noway says:

        First, rich famous people being environmentalist and wasting resources isn’t a new story. It’s covered pretty much every time some celebrity does this. It’s why the google camp got such a backlash. The camp is a great idea just getting there on hundreds of private planes and partying on large yachts isn’t the best way to protect the environment. What is new is the amount of coverage and the vitriol. It’s everywhere for a few days now and seems to keep on going a bit longer. Now this could be because the Sussexes are the most famous of anyone who has done this plus the fact that bullying them seems to sell their trashy tabloid media, or who knows why. Maybe, Harry really loves his Uncle and thinks he’s innocent, and decided to take one for the team. I know the Sussexes are probably surprised about the level of coverage, but I find it hard to believe after he got so much publicity for implying he was only having 2 kids cause of the resources, he didn’t think using private planes would be a story. I mean people seem to go after the Cambridge’s vacations and tally it up too. Sure not this big and mean, but he had to know it would be something and worse coverage than his brother gets.

    • Redgrl says:

      @originallala – agreed!

    • Marina says:

      Well- Said, Original LaLa.

  4. Millennial says:

    I don’t know that having celebrities hop to their defense about this particular issue helps the cause. However, I would LOVE to see a well known celebrity tackle the very obvious disparity between how the Sussexes are treated vs. the Cambridge’s and the Wales’s. Just call it for what it is, Elton! A heaping serving of racism, served with sides of we always would have hated you anyways because you aren’t a posh-born Brit and you married the spare.

    • Becks1 says:

      Well, someone on twitter last night said that its like Elton doesn’t realize that William is also Diana’s son.

      If you were wondering the handle, it was “futureheirs.” I laughed so hard when I saw that.

      • olive says:

        so many people in elton’s mentions yesterday complaining that elton should give a holiday to a hardworking, normal family who scrimps to pay bills and does the school run, as if this was a contest to win a holiday with elton at his house instead of elton inviting family friends to spend time with his family.
        it’s just nuts. why would you ever compare your life to royalty and celebrities like that? do you want to be constantly disappointed you can’t live in the lap of luxury instead of grateful for what you do have?

    • PrincessK says:

      But that is also causing them problems. Journalists are saying that it looks bad that so many celebrities are sticking up for them, and H &M should remember that they are not celebrities. The journalists are trying to gloss over the enormous support the couple have from ordinary people like us. This is why we need to continue to support them on Twitter and other social media platforms. The huge popularity of the Sussexes can’t be denied forever.

      • Lupo says:

        None of the Royals have enormous support from ordinary people in the UK. And since they are the ones that fund them, the support from others is really irrelevant. Frankly, the lot of them should just be booted off the island.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Lupo

        I’m afraid I have to disagree with you there….the BRF ARE enormously popular….last I checked, over 70% approval rating which is about as high as they’ve ever enjoyed. They would have been “booted off the island” long ago if they didn’t enjoy the popularity that they did.

        So hate to burst your bubble, but they are likely to be around for some time to come. (Granted, this may change with Andrew and his shenanigans….but I still think it unlikely).

        @ Princess K

        You are so right….the press have a vested interest in portraying H+M as unpopular when the reverse is the case. A lot of the negativity is generated by a small, commercially (and racially) driven section of society.

      • bamaborn says:

        PrincessK…yes, if they were lazy, slothful and generally uncaring individuals, call them out on that. When someone is trying to do good in a world filled with hateful, spiteful people, they need somewhere to disengage. Until they prove me wrong, I stan for them.

      • Lupo says:

        A quick Google search doesn’t support your 70 percent approval. There’s an old YouGov poll canvassing a small percentage of the British population that likes them but I disagree that they are here to stay. And the only reason they haven’t been booted off the island yet is b/c of the Queen. Once she goes, all bets are off.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Lupo

        I gave you numbers…….support your counter argument with figures as well if you can please.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Lupo:

        I’m really not sure what version of Google you checked…..the one I checked has various sources at 70%. Yougov in particular has them at 7 out of 10 Britons being Monarchists with a more specific figure of 69% supporting the institution.

        Maybe you should try checking again?

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        63% on May 12th is what I found, so that’s very close to what you said, Bella.

      • Nahema says:

        Those approval ratings are not worth a whole lot. They’re based only upon the small cross section who are asked and I think on a day-to-day level @lupo is right, the British people don’t care or when they do care, they’re usually complaining about the cost and extravagant spending of the royals. Most Brits only become Royalists when there is some big event, like a wedding. Ask people whether they support the monarchy a few days after that and they’ll probably say yes, ask them after the spending figures for the year are revealed and they’ll probably say no.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Nahema

        Again, not true, I’m afraid. That figure has been fairly stable for almost 2 decades now. The Monarchy is intricately woven into the very fabric of British culture (for better or worse).

        I think it’s probably difficult for non-Brits to grasp this, so I’m not surprised at your scepticism tbh.

        Having said that, I would never argue with a republican or begrudge them their views…..logically, they make sense. But the BRF is like that unjustifiable, entirely overpriced Hermes bag you save up for and buy. It doesn’t really make logical sense, yet, there’s a 5 year waiting list for some of their designs. You love what you love, sense be damned. 😉

        P.S:

        Every single poll you see is conducted by canvassing a small but consequential segment of the population. The results are still relevant. It’s why politicians spend a huge amount regularly conducting them.

    • perplexed says:

      To be honest, I don’t think it helps. I can’t really articulate why, but I do wonder if Ellen would bother defending them if they didn’t have status.

      It’s not Harry and Meghan’s fault, but if you were to strip away their royal status would these celebrities fawn over or defend them? I don’t really think so. It makes me think less of the celebrity for some reason and a little too obvious that they wish to court favour with people that can elevate their own status by association.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        If you strip away their Royal status, no one would be interested in them, media and press would not cover their every move and there would be no smearing and attacks.

      • Becks1 says:

        Well, I think it depends what you mean by “stripping their titles.” Like if Harry woke up tomorrow and said, I’m done, and they move to Nice to be neighbors with Elton John and go on with their private lives? Then I do think people would still be interested in them and they would still have a large celebrity draw.

        If you mean – if they were never royals, would people be interested? Of course not. If a tabloid had smeared Meghan Markle, Suits actress, Ellen and Elton John would not have stepped up to defend her. Of course being royal and their overall status and fame is why other celebrities are coming to their defense. But, that status and fame is why they are being attacked. So its hard to separate IMO.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Becks1, No! I did not state my point clearly! MY FAULT! LOL! LOL!

        I did not mean take titles away from Harry & Meghan. What I meant is that if Meghan & Harry were not members of the BRF (no titles, just a former actress and retired military officer) the “haters” would not be interested or as interested in them to the degree that the “haters” are.

        I do not think Meghan & Harry are being attacked because they have status & fame. There is a large minority of people on blogging boards who do not like Meghan and a smaller minority on blogging boards who do not like Harry. It makes no difference if this minority is right or wrong because they are there, are very loud and have a right to an opinion. Haters are gonna Hate.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Bay – LOL! I figured that was what you meant, I just wasn’t sure what the original question was asking. If she was an actress and he was a retired officer like you said, even with millions in the bank from an inheritance, no one would care about them. (at least not to this extent.) It’s the royal status and all that entails that makes people focus on them.

        And I do think people like Elton John, Ellen, Oprah, etc genuinely like them. They both seem like warm, outgoing, pleasant people. But they wouldn’t even be on Oprah’s radar screen if they weren’t royal.

        Oh and when I said “they are being attacked bc they have status and fame” I meant that’s what draws them into the public eye and puts them in the spotlight so much, both for criticism and for other celebs. I think we are saying the same thing.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Becks1, Part of the problem is that there is not a rational discussion on the internet about M&H. I would say CB is as even handed as it gets but the discussion is not open to all view points by any stretch of the imagination due to all the other cyber bullying on any place cyber bullying can take place.

        With M&H, the majority seem to me to fall into two categories: cannot stand the Sussexes or do not care a fat-rat’s-cracker at all. People that dislike the Sussexes generate clicks so that is what the media writes about & makes shit up about IMHO and the Sussexes have given the media plenty to write about (I know many CBers disagree with me on this).

        BP & KP are not going to get involved with this DM (and other tabloids & gossip sites) made up mess and endless nonsense because they have bigger real worries with Prince Andrew.

      • noway says:

        I know what you mean. I don’t think this helps either. I didn’t mind Elton’s comment as he was directly involved in this, just the others. I couldn’t help laughing at Ellen saying Meghan and Harry were down to earth. I mean they are a lot of positive things, but down to earth is not the way most would describe a born prince. Honestly it made me think these celebrities are too often in their gilded cages and don’t see the real world. Seriously, it’s hard to tell the average person you need a private plane for your vacation to a private estate, but YOU should conserve resources and not make the average person say bs. I’m a huge Ellen fan too, and I burst out laughing at her comment. I do feel bad, Meghan especially gets all this crap, but she still has a wonderful life which many people envy. I think having other privileged people speak up for them just seems off. If the Queen really wanted to change things she should let Meghan and Harry speak up for themselves about some of the comments. Not do it the sneaky kill a story way, direct press releases about it when stuff like this happens.

  5. M. says:

    Elton is a good friend, but his statement will not stop the press from attacking the Sussexes. I wish Harry and Meghan well, but being a member of the royal family is not worth all of this hate. They are not doing anything different than other royals, but they suffer the greatest abuse. Meghan was warned by several people not to marry into the royal family. They knew the truth about the vitriol she would receive on a daily basis. Meghan used to have a fun, carefree life full of travel and charity work. Now she is vilified and ridiculed every week.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      Sir Elton, though very talented, is not the sharpest tool in the shed brain power wise.

      • PrincessK says:

        True, it some ways it would have been better if he remained silent. But he now feels guilty for inviting them for the holiday which they gracefully accepted.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Elton should not feel guilty about offering hospitality to his friends; he should feel guilty about talking about it.

        PrincessK, if I invite you to stay on my private island off the coast of Florida, I do not think we should talk about it on CB.

        FYI: I DO NOT own a private island off the coast of Florida. LOL! LOL!

      • jenny says:

        Yea it comes off as very pretentious. It was MY private jet, not theirs. In the end, it does not make anyone any more relatable.

      • Becks1 says:

        He only talked about because he thought it would help deflect criticism from Meghan and Harry. It may not have been the best PR move in that regard (whoops lol) but I thought it was nice that he came to their defense, if he invited them and he offered them the jet. Its not like he was divulging secrets of their visit or anything.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Meghan and Harry are going to be attacked for whatever they do or do not do.

        The sad part is that it is impossible to have an intelligent enjoyable discussion about any of this gossip because the Sussexes are so badly smeared (right or wrong) that you do not want to add additional negativity and nothing the Sussexes have done wrong is anywhere near the league of Prince Andrews wrong doings and very poor judgement.

      • noway says:

        Seriously, love Elton, but when Kaiser said diva above for how the press claims Meghan is, I was thinking she must have meant Elton. He’s the top Diva of them all.

    • MsIam says:

      Elton was not speaking to the press but to the people on Twitter. That is the real power that celebrities use. The right-wing conservative press are never going to support anyone who doesn’t follow their agenda (and the same with press on the left). So he knows they will not change. So the purpose of Elton’s tweets was to talk to his supporters and let them know he stands with H&M. He’s saying the press coverage is all bullsh!t here’s what really happened.

      • Harper says:

        Richard Palmer the RR for the Daily Express, said this on Twitter this morning :

        >Sir Elton John’s intervention in the controversy over Harry and Meghan’s private jet flights has elevated the story and was greeted with glee in newsrooms yesterday.

      • MsIam says:

        Oh, please, the press would be milking this story for days regardless and they know it. If that RR is claiming they would have left this alone but for Sir Elton he’s a liar. But it also proves the point that it is not about truth or facts but agendas.

      • Becks1 says:

        Yeah, that quote by Richard Palmer (who I reported last week for harassment and targeting individuals) just shows what the RRs agenda actually is. Its not the truth. Its not “holding royals accountable.” Its not hypocrisy or climate change or anything. It’s whatever gives them an excuse to spend more days harassing Harry and Meghan.

  6. STRIPE says:

    Im glad Elton brought up what’s often missing from the conversation about celebrities and private jets: celebrities do not have the ability to be anonymous. Can you imagine Harry and Megan hanging out by their gate or even in a lounge waiting for their plane? Please. They would constantly have people coming up to them, taking pictures etc. I get that the optics aren’t great for any celebrity who claims to care about the environment, but I just try to hold some empathy for their inability to be part of a crowd without causing a scene.

    Also, I know. I’m not sitting here crying for celebrities who can afford to fly private. I’m just saying it’s a safety and logistical issue that the rest of us don’t have to deal with

    • dos santos says:

      They both managed to fly without using private planes perfectly well before, tbh, although, in mitigation, it was when Meghan wasn’t famous and Harry was in his “incognito” just-a-regular-guy-flying- First-Class-(with-his-security-detail) phase.

      • Becks1 says:

        They did fly commercial before, and I’m sure they’ll fly commercial again. No different from other royals or very wealthy people who don’t actually own their own plane. Sometimes they use private planes, sometimes they fly commercial.

        I can see how for this trip, if Elton wanted to make it as stress-free and PRIVATE for them as possible, given the relentless medial attacks, the private plane was a really nice gift.

      • Beli says:

        They’ve flown commercial before and were vilified for that as well.

      • Melissa says:

        I would not be surprised if their security has forbade them from flying commercial because of increased threats since Meghan came into the fold. We know that there are tons of crazy people who threaten her daily, and it would not be shocking to learn that this is the only way they’re allowed to travel for now. Also probably the reason they mostly stay with friends in their already-secure compounds, like their visit to the Clooneys last summer.

      • Amy Too says:

        But they didn’t have baby Archie with them when they flew commercial before. They want to control when he is seen and what photos are taken and published of him, and that’s their right, especially since he is not an HRH, he is a private citizen, and he’s only a couple of months old.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Melissa

        Exactly. I think it’s extremely unrealistic to expect M+ H to still keep traveling commercially, given the hyper levels of attention (and threats) they are currently suffering right now.

        If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t even consider it, tabloid criticisms be damned. Even when they travelled in economy class, (sat by the toilets, no less), they were still heavily criticized. They need to keep giving the press the middle finger.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Bella and Amy – I do think Archie adds another layer to this. I see the vitriol people spout on twitter and IG about that baby; I would not be surprised if he is receiving threats (or M&H are) – such that traveling on a commercial flight is considered “ill advised” by their security team. Let’s not forget that crazy woman who stalked Meghan around NYC – wasn’t she trying to prove that Meghan wasn’t actually pregnant? I cant imagine how scary that was.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Why fly back & forth? Why not just fly from Spain to France and call it a day?

        What was so important that H&M needed to be back in the UK…not family…..as QEII, Chucky and Cammie are in Scotland.

        Lack of planning equals opportunity for maximal bad optics!

      • Mel says:

        With all the lunatics and no boundary having people out here, I would NOT fly commercial with the baby. NO way.

      • BabaBlacksheep says:

        I hate comparing the two families BUT wasn’t Prince George threatened by ISIS? Like an actual terrorist group with a history of violence and murder? Yet the Cambridge’s still fly commercial. I don’t think some crazy daily mail commenter is more dangerous than ISIS.

      • Becks1 says:

        The Cambridges do not always fly commercial. I’m not sure why that is such a talking point. They take lots of private flights.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Baba black sheep

        That is such a weird argument to make…..whether or not the Cambridges (a lily white family) feel safe enough to travel commercially has absolutely no bearing on M + H’s logistical planning because both families face completely different types of threats and exposure.

        That assessment would be made by the Sussexes security team/logistical team NOT the Cambridges.

        Besides, the Cambridges fly private just as much as, if not more so, than the Sussexes.

      • nic919 says:

        The Cambridges use a helicopter to go back and forth from KP to Norfolk which is just as wasteful and since it is considered a general expense, no one knows exactly how often they are doing it any more. They have even planted bushes to block he view so that it is more difficult for anyone to track the helicopter.

    • Taryn says:

      I brought this up yesterday and someone said they could have just bought out all of first class. Im sure the media would just LOVE to cover how H&M are so selfish they kicked off passengers so they could fly commercially in comfort. The morning talk shows would have brought in people boarding the flight to talk about how uncomfortable they felt with the added security measures. I’m glad Elton stepped in, the media is ruthless.

      • Nic919 says:

        Flying London to Nice may not have a first class section. I’ve flown Paris to Nice and the plane is not as large and there were no first class sections.

      • Bryn says:

        Or imagine if they went commercial and the baby cried, I could see the headlines now. “Terrible mom Megan can’t comfort own baby! “

      • Bryn says:

        Have you read about the flight attendant who caught measles and died? I wouldn’t want to bring my newborn on a commercial flight

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “Flying London to Nice may not have a first class section. ”

        There is a first class section on British Airways London-Nice-London as I have sat in it.

      • MsIam says:

        Then the story would have been, the cost of flying first class H&M, baby, security staff, Nanny I’m sure and whomever else they brought along. Especially in the age of Brexit! It’s a game with the press (and the trolls) and H&M shouldn’t be forced to play along.

    • Nahema says:

      This is a non argument which I hear all the time. Celebrities and royals fly commercial without any problems. Adjustments can be made. If you fly first class, you’re usually in a private lounge and if they really didn’t want to even board with other first class passengers, they could be allowed on first or last or even driven out to the run way, as they would be with a private jet.

      I don’t think anyone needs to be using a private jet unless you’re flying to some remote area where commercial flights don’t travel.

      • STRIPE says:

        I hear you – they *could* do it. But it’s not as easy as a private jet and they are entitled to privacy.

        I guess what it comes down to is I don’t blame highly visible people for wanting to be away from the public eye when they can.

      • chunky.la says:

        @Nahema,

        You’re post just reminded me that Kate flew economy/coach on a commercial flight for her solo work trip to The Netherlands. People were surprised to see her there, someone took a picture but she survived.

      • Nahema says:

        @chunky – yes and really nobody is even expecting them to fly economy. I don’t get why people are so happy to see Royals in private jets? I get they might want privacy, just like plebs don’t want to sit next to strangers on the bus or be packed onto trains but we do because we have to start making some BIG changes. We cannot just all do what we want to do and not think about the impact of that. It doesn’t matter how much money you might have or your social status.

      • Taneesha says:

        Oh you’re lets turn this thread into another HM bashfest. Not interested, count me out please.
        For people in the UK or Europe, do flights from Nice to London and vice versa large aircrafts with first, business and economy classes? I know here in Canada all our flights are small aircrafts, yes even Pearson to Philadelphia, and have none of that. Only international, like really international flights fly those humongous aircrafts. If yr 2 hour flights are all jumbo aircrafts, where only about 40-40 passengers are boarded on a 200 passenger aircraft, then these complaints about how HM should have flown commercial are as hypocritical since those large aircraft carbon print is from out of this world.

      • Val says:

        Thanks you !

        If, on DM, it s always Meghan s fault, here it s NEVER Meghan ‘s fault.( To the point that I no longer read the posts on her…)

        Regarding the environnement, she is an hypocrite, like most celebs.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Val

        That is an inaccurate statement actually. Meghan gets plenty of criticism on this site (I’ve posted quite a few myself), but it seems like for some people, unless she’s absolutely pulverized for every little cough, it’s not enough “criticism” for them.

      • Nahema says:

        This isn’t at all about bashing Meghan and Harry. This is just calling it what it is, which is wasteful and it’s not even aimed directly at them but at all of the royals, celebs and wealthy in general.

        Yes there are several flights per day from London airports with first, business and economy seating.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Nahema

        You wrote: “This isn’t at all about bashing Meghan and Harry.”

        Well…..it sort of does feel like that because we don’t get this category 100 tornado coming at us whenever the Cambridges or even Charles + Camilla go on their multiple private trips.

        If you extrapolate the level of insecurity around them from the number and level of press/online attacks, it becomes clear that they have entirely different security needs than your average celebrity or even Royal.

        People (the press) need to realize that the louder and more aggressively they vilify this couple, the more likely the will be forced to keep traveling privately. That is the reality of the situation.

      • Taneesha says:

        But why haven’t all the “call it as it is” warriors on here ever feverishly posted about Andrew, William and Kate, Charles and Camilla all’s private jet trips to withing England, leave alone Nice? Show me a 400 post thread complaining and bashing any of the above mentioned for their private jet flights and contributions to tons of carbon or not and I’ll sell you the London bridge. No this has nothing to do with calling it as it is, it’s all about let’s bash H&M at every turn. Randy And just flew to Spain on a private jet days ago but that thread generated only 48posts and none of them were about his private jet flights and carbon print. Yeah I’m not buying the “just calling it as it is”. And I’m RME at such large aircrafts making frequent 45min -1hr flights and H&M critics/detractors claiming that jumping on these large aircrafts first or business class for such short trips would be more cost effective and more eco-friendly than flying on a small aircraft that carries just a people. I don’t get that logic. So, in the end, this OTT carbon print outcry is just hateful spew to the bias and vitriol aimed at the Sussexes.

      • Nahema says:

        @Taneesha – You’re clearly aiming that at me directly and I call it as I see it on all things royal. My opinions are only opinions, just like everyone else’s and the royals fascinate and annoy the hell out of me but I don’t just comment negatively on articles relating to Meghan and Harry. As I’ve said before though, you won’t find threads like this on anything about Andrew because everyone accepts that he a terrible person. Nobody is arguing that anything he does is good or honourable. Threads like this get drawn out because there are people who are mega defenders of the Sussex’s or Cambridges and refuse to see a bad word said about them, even when it’s deserved.

      • nic919 says:

        When you call it “as it is” then you need to call out all of the royals that do the same thing and not just Harry and Meghan. I’ve been posting on CB for years and I haven’t seen your comments post critical things about the Cambridges when they use private jets. Taneesha is calling out your hypocrisy. To be fair you aren’t the only one doing this, but don’t pretend to be “calling it as it is” when you only call out H & M.

      • Sophie says:

        The difference is that not all of the other royals who fly private called upon their followers on Instagram to save the planet one or two months ago. Or, allegedly, give a barefoot talk on how reducing selfie-tourism will help combat climate change at Google Camp while staying on a super yacht and getting their by private jet. It is not so much the taking private jets that annoys me (as everyone points out, they all do that), but rather the preaching water while drinking wine thing. Similar to William‘s comment about limiting to two children to save the planet. Same thing to me. If you cannot follow through just advocate for other topics than climate change.

      • noway says:

        If I had the resources I would fly on a private plane every chance I got. I’ve only flown first class twice in my life and it was amazing. If I had to rich person counter act it by driving a Prius for the rest of my life- (they are quite comfortable), I’d do it. Heck I might even give up one of my kids for it, j.k., but some days that would be easy. However, what I wouldn’t do is make one of my causes the environment as I was not obviously walking the walk on it. This is the legitimate complaint to them specifically this time. However, the coverage is over the top mean.

        Plus, I do find it funny rich people think it’s acceptable to just pay to have it carbon neutral and that makes it all right. Glad you donate, but you are still a carbon hog. Just saying, and I’d be a carbon hog too if I had the resources just own it. You kind of get why some average not as intelligent people all voted for Trump. I mean rich people are arguing how much money it costs to be carbon neutral and Trumps selling a set of Trump imprinted plastic straws cause paper straws just don’t work. They are right, but we are one hell of a smart country can’t we make a recyclable straw out of something that doesn’t last forever and make a plane and yacht that doesn’t gorge on our resources?

      • Becks1 says:

        @Sophie that argument doesn’t hold water when William took a private jet to Davos to give a speech on…..climate change. That’s the inconsistency people keep pointing out.

    • SSP says:

      Just FYI, celebrities that fly commercial do not “wait by the gate” with you and me. They come in through a separate area of the airport, then are chauffeured directly to the plane, where they board in the front, before everyone else. If it’s a bigger plane, the plebes board in the middle and the back, and you never come to the front where they are sitting. Then, they deplane before everyone else and are again chauffeured off before everyone else. So regular people would never see them to take pics, etc and wouldn’t even know they were on. All of the young royals have flown this way before including H&M. Most recently the Cambridges flew commercial to St Lucia and then took a sea plane to Mustique. This VIP chauffeuring is routinely done, not even for celebrities as big as these, there are lots of jobs available doing this. Just saying let’s be real, it’s not like them flying commercial means they would be waiting at Jamba Juice waiting for their boarding group to be called LOL.

      The other thing is if Elton’s plane was sent over for them, picked them up, then dropped them off and then returned to Nice (as is often done when a person loans their private jet) that is actually 4 trips rather than 2.

      • Becks1 says:

        So, admittedly, I am not an expert on private jets. But I was under the impression that this wasn’t Elton’s private jet, that he used a company to hire/charter one for Meghan and Harry. So it wasn’t like the jet was hanging out in Nice, the company sent one with H&M from England to Nice and then it took them home again. But maybe that’s wrong? Like I said…..my private jet experience is, sadly, minimal.

      • STRIPE says:

        All good points – and LAX just opened a super exclusive celebrity lounge for this purpose as well.

        But still, I can’t help not blaming them for just not wanting to deal with commercial. I can’t imagine being them and having everyone know who you are. Even with these arrangements, I would just want to fly alone with my family if I were them.

        I’m not saying they couldn’t do it. I just don’t blame them for not doing it.

      • Lolo says:

        The DM tracked the plane and it did return to England the same day after dropping them off (presumably empty though who knows). So whoever said 4 trips is probably correct. They flew private the same way all royals fly private, meaning someone else picked up the tab. They all only fly commercial when they have to pay for it because most of the royals (with the exception of Charles and the Queen) don’t have as much money or access to money as people think they do. They vacation where they can get free or heavily discounted accommodations, usually in exchange for some kind of promo (which is why we got FULL details on where Will and Kate stayed in Mustique). I do think it’s wasteful to take a plane from England-Ibiza-England-Nice with a turnaround of like a day, because it’s obviously shorter to go Ibiza-Nice but I would assume that when someone else is paying you can’t say “oh, hey, can you pick me up from my first luxury vacation in Ibiza instead of England? And can I stay at your villa for an extra day or two for free as well? Thanks ever so much!”

      • jenny says:

        Interesting. This separation of the elite is disgusting, and this type of treatment must go right to their heads.

      • Nic919 says:

        If we are going to complain about the use of private jets can we at least include Andrew flying to Malaga to escape scrutiny for having been close friends with a convicted sex offender? I know Meghan and Harry have committed the sin of being woke, but the dissection of their actions as compared to the guy who hangs out with convicted sex offenders AND uses private jets is ridiculous. It’s a false equivalency and reduces just how bad Andrew’s actions have been. The real story about elites abusing power is how Andrew is escaping investigation by the Met police for sex crimes not whether or not rich people use private jets too much.

      • Wadsworth the Butler says:

        It’s actually the opposite: they usually fly commercial when flying for work (mostly to accommodate the traveling press corps) and usually fly private when traveling for personal reasons. Governments (who are picking up the tab for work travel) are far less generous about paying for private jets than HM or friends.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “And can I stay at your villa for an extra day or two for free as well? Thanks ever so much!”

        If the vacation trip(s) had been better planed, Harry and Meghan could have stayed in a hotel in Spain for the extra days and paid for it themselves. The optics would have been much better IMHO.

      • TheOriginalMia says:

        How are you calculating W & K’s 4 trips on a plane to get to Mustique as only 2 trips? Nah. They took a plane from the UK to St. Lucia (1 flight), from St. Lucia (and it couldn’t have been a prop plane with the Midds, the Cambs, the nanny(ies), plus security and luggage for 2 weeks abroad)), from Mustique back to St. Lucia, and another flight back to the UK. That’s 4. The same number you’re upset with Meghan and Harry about.

      • noway says:

        Harry and William actually do have money of their own from Diana’s estate. She was quite wealthy to begin with supposed the 40-50 million range and it was split between the two. Not uber wealthy, but wealthy none the less, especially when you don’t really have a house expense.

    • MsIam says:

      Why do people keep bringing up the Spain trip when we have no proof it happened? There are no pictures, no one knows where they stayed, no flight records, etc. This was reported in a Spanish paper that they were seen but no one can prove it. Just like no one knows when or if they were in Scotland.

  7. Seraphina says:

    It’s like I stated before, the more the media attacks them to deflect or just because of The mixed race issue, the more people will rush to defend them. Enough is enough. Sadly, the haters will use that too against them. Until the BRF stands up and does something, this will continue. And I will say it again: I continue to lose respect for TQ and for PC. Either one can step up to help. This is now hate not news or gossip.

  8. aquarius64 says:

    I think the Sussex hit pieces, the latest one, is due to the Andrew/Epstein mess. Britain hasn’t had a royal scandal on this scale since the 90’s. The House of Windsor could fall not because of a biracial American duchess but by a natural born prince of the blood and his British born ex wife. Although a lot of people want it gone the monarchy is a part of the British identity. Some could see such a change traumatic so people lash out at the lowest hanging fruit.

  9. Beli says:

    One thing I don’t understand is the much repeated complaint that H&M “keep lecturing us about climate change”.

    Am I out of the loop? I’ve never seen either of them lecture me about climate change, tell me I shouldn’t use planes, etc etc.

    • TeamAwesome says:

      I really thought the comment about having only two kids was an off the cuff response to Jane Goodall. It wasn’t a speech. It sounded like a still fairly new parent panicking at the thought of even more sleep deprivation and poop. But the press has spun it as eco-warrior Harry tells us lots of kids are bad for the environment. That wasn’t him, that was his brother.
      People can care about multiple things. They can want to save elephants AND make sure they can feel safe traveling with their small child. They have such little privacy, and I imagine there are definitely security concerns. If they had flown commercial we’d probably be reading about bratty baby Archie cries, Meghan wears thousand pound sweatpants, nonsense etc.

    • jenny says:

      I don’t really follow them and what they say, but People seems to be definitely shading them by quoting them in all their coverage of the private jets. They wrote on Instagram “every choice, every footprint, every action makes a difference.” And I guess Harry also said something about they will only have 2 kids to reduce their carbon footprint.

      • Becks1 says:

        No, Harry didn’t say that. He said something to Jane Goodall about kids and she was like “not too many!” and Harry laughed and said “two, maximum!” He didn’t say he was only going to have two kids because it was better for the environment. William did, though!

        (or William told people they should only have two kids. Before Louis. LOL.)

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      It’s in response to Harry, at the recent Google summit in Italy (having been flown in and back, in private jet and heli, paid for by Google, but “private!”), lecturing (barefoot in the sand) about saving the environment, carbon footprints, etc. It really IS rather tone-deaf, considering almost all there arrived on private jets, mega-yachts, etc, renting out the ruins to hold this party.

      It was at this point the tabs started calling them “Ecco-warriors” and it persists and extends to Meghan now, as well.

    • PrincessK says:

      Exactly, the media keep using these words ‘lecture’ and ‘preach’……l certainly don’t that feeling when l listen to Harry and Meghan speak.

    • MsIam says:

      The whole world is talking about climate change but people are not rushing to give up their cars. But it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) mute the conversation about the environment. The truth is if you want to reduce climate change, shut the whole world down at sunset. Our 24/7 lifestyle is killing the planet. But that’s not gonna happen.

    • noway says:

      Lecturing is a bit heavy handed, but they are environmentalist. Harry has gone to many conferences and said how he feels we need to watch our personal carbon footprint. Plus the main recent thing is the British Vogue guest edited by Meghan has tons of stories about this. It’s a focus of the magazine. Plus, an interview with Harry in British Vogue states his view on the environment.

  10. little bird says:

    GOD elton’s post actually made me internally shout “YES!!!” like,,, sure this won’t stop the press from being d-ckheads but to have a well-respected british celebrity call out this bullsh-t for what it is (well, almost) is honestly kind of major? it’s good to see there are people aside from the american public that support them. i’m sure there will be some negative spin on this tomorrow though, let’s be real.

    • Amy Too says:

      And he’s SIR Elton John, too. He’s not just some random reality TV celebrity/Hollywood actor. He’s been knighted by the Queen, thus having a sense of “aristocratic credentials” bestowed on him.

  11. Becks1 says:

    I think the more these reporters dig in about Meghan and Harry, the more they are burning bridges with some of these celebrities. I know Emily Andrews and Richard Palmer et al are “royal reporters” so they’re not necessarily concerned about access to Elton john. But why go out of your way to burn bridges with some of the biggest stars in the world (the Clooneys, Elton John, OPRAH) if you don’t have to?

    They keep pushing this “Meghan is a spoiled diva” narrative and its funny bc what’s happening is we are hearing from so many sources that the opposite is true – how lovely she is, how warm and engaging, etc. The royal family wont step in to defend Meghan, but her friends will.

    • Eliza says:

      They don’t overlap – they don’t care about celebrities or access. Their money is in royals, that’s why its mean article, nice article… because if no more royals, no more jobs. Sadly, Elton, Ellen, Pink all posting support will only make backlash worse because they’re adding to the mobs the number 1 complaint: they’re too Hollywood.

      And unlike celebrities, they’re civil servants (in a way). Criticism is always part of the job. They have it worse but it’s because they buck the mold and people want them back in the royal box. They want to do it a new way.

      • Becks1 says:

        Riiiiight…..which is why I literally said they’re not concerned about access to Elton John. It still seems like a bad idea to me, to treat one member of the royal family so horribly that celebrities are calling you out for it across the board.

        Of course criticism is part of the job, but this is beyond criticism.

      • Beli says:

        They don’t overlap, but if it starts affecting the whole paper there might be an issue. If the Sun starts seeing celebrities withhold access for other parts of its “reporting” because they’re standing with H&M over something Emily Andrews said, as an example, we might see an effect.

      • Wadsworth the Butler says:

        Then why the fixation on their “popularity” by these same reporters? If they’re civil servants, it doesn’t matter.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      “But why go out of your way to burn bridges with some of the biggest stars in the world (the Clooneys, Elton John, OPRAH) if you don’t have to?”

      The Daily Fail commentariat hates The Clooneys, Sir Elton, Oprah, Gail King, Victoria Beckham Hillary Clinton and The Obamas. The tabloid hacks (read Piers Morgan and others of his ilk) masquerading as journalist can go after any of the people I listed all they want and the Daily Fail comment posters LOVE it!

      • Becks1 says:

        Yeah but this coverage is not just the daily fail. I’m seeing stories about in more mainstream pieces. That’s why celebrities are coming to their defense. It’s not because one tabloid ran some stories.

  12. Kittycat says:

    I think the point of the smear campaign is to break up Harry and Meghan.

    No matter what they do the media and royal family will attack them because together harry and Meghan are too popular.

    They outshine William and Kate just by standing next to them and working.

    I really hope Harry and Meghan leave the royal family.

    • M. says:

      I think a lot of people want to break them up, but I think the main goal is to shut them up. The smear campaign’s purpose is to undermine and ruin the Sussex’s work and bury them with enough bad press to where companies will be afraid or hesitant to work with them. Harry and Meghan became too famous and powerful too fast. They weren’t supposed to outshine people but rather remain in the background to support the two main couples.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      “I think the point of the smear campaign is to break up Harry and Meghan.”

      No the point of the smear campaign is to sell newspapers and generate revenue producing click$.

      If H&M broke up, what on Earth would The Daily Fail write about to sell newspapers?

      FYI: I am less offended by The Daily Express and The Sun than I am The Daily Fail.

  13. M. says:

    These attacks on Harry and Meghan are a joint smear campaign orchestrated by the media with the help of the royal family. Too many reporters have stated that a lot of the leaks and hits have come from Harry’s own family.
    Meghan’s job was to shut up, look pretty, and be paraded around because she is biracial woman with a black mother. They didn’t want her to be a hard worker or outspoken. The BRF loves to tweet those photos of Meghan and Doria, but don’t say anything while Doria’s daughter is being vilified by the media. I have no respect for any of them, and I’m questioning why Harry and Meghan would want to raise a multiracial family in such a vitriolic and unsupportive environment.

    • Becks1 says:

      Emily Andrews had a really interesting tweet last night (for her, at any rate lol) – did you see it? she came out and said, “I like Meghan, she’s a hard worker and has sass etc but those same qualities are going to tick off members of the royal family and I need to report on that” I cant remember her exact wording, but it seemed pretty close to an admission that someone in the BRF is pushing the smear campaign.

      • Beli says:

        Which raises the question, who in the family is pushing that?

        Andrew is all but a certainty, but I doubt he’s courting the press right now, so who else?

      • M. says:

        I saw it. A few reporters have stated the same thing about how some of the royals are working against Harry and Meghan. There was also that political journalist who said that the family gossips a lot about Meghan.

        Here’s the harsh reality: a divorced, outspoken, American, biracial actress was not going fit in well with conservative aristocrats and royals. Every person who marries into the royal family has to diminish themselves in order to survive. Sophie was shut down and had to give up her career, we rarely see or hear from Princess Anne’s husband, Jack Brooksbank has only been seen a couple of times since the wedding last year, and we all know how Kate rarely speaks and started dressing older than the Queen. Even Camilla keeps a low profile.

      • Nic919 says:

        I saw that tweet and she certainly implied that someone on the inside doesn’t like Meghan and is the one feeding her stories. I would guess that there are courtiers who don’t like that Meghan is independent and can’t be controlled as easily as others. And Harry is more assertive since he’s been with Meghan and they don’t like that at all.

      • MsIam says:

        Well, there is an old saying that goes “When you throw mud on somebody else, you always get some on yourself”. Or something like that, lol. So karma will come calling around to that person (s) someday, or maybe it already has….

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “pretty close to an admission that someone in the BRF is pushing the smear campaign.”

        I would love to know exactly who in the BRF this is!

      • notasugarhere says:

        Sophie was tricked by a sting operation, embarrassed the family, and was made a working royal. Convenient for the royals, but it wasn’t the royals clutching pearls and shutting down Sophie The Independent Working Woman. LOL

        Anne’s husband isn’t a working royal, we’re not supposed to hear about him. Jack B has no role in the royal family and never will. Never hear from Camilla? Other than her work with sexual assault victims and all her other charity work?

        ET writing is again loaded with coded language of “sass”, because she cannot refer to Meghan as hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, wanting to make a change without also sideways bashing her for being bi-racial.

        If anyone connected to royals was actually upset with Meghan’s drive, which I doubt? Look towards Andrew, W&K, and old-school courtiers who know their time is up.

      • kerwood says:

        @Becks There is no doubt in my mind that the source of this ugliness is inside the royal family. I don’t believe that the press would be so vicious if they thought the royal family would come after them. I suspect Normal Bill and Keen Katie, Andrew and his daughters and the Middletons. They appear to be the ones who are the most jealous of Harry and Meghan.

        I’m sure the Queen is too busy worrying about keeping her pedophile son out of an American prison to concern herself with this crap. And it is crap. It’s total petty bullshit that has been blown way out of proportion due to racism. I have always said that racism is a form of insanity and the response to Harry and Meghan is Exhibit A.

        I do think that it’s time that Charles steps up though. He might not have much clout but he needs to make a public stand in support of his son, daughter in law and grandson. People like Elton John are probably speaking up BECAUSE no one in the royal family is doing so. Elton John knows the truth; he knows Harry and Meghan and are probably fed up to their eye teeth with all the bullshit.

        The fact that there are over 200 comments on this post is proof that things are completely out of hand. How many times can people say ‘I really like Meghan but,….’ and then accuse her and her husband of preaching to the world about climate change. It’s JUST NOT TRUE. I have no doubt that the people who make the accusations KNOW it’s not true. They just can’t help themselves because racism makes you CRAZY.

    • pinkberry says:

      ….

    • IlsaLund says:

      I can’t help but wonder how Doria feels/views this. As a mother, I’m sure she wants to hold Meghan close and protect her child from all the hate and vicious attacks. I know I’d just want to spirit my daughter away and tell them all f—k off.

      • Taryn says:

        As a black woman Doria is used to this. Im sure she warned Meghan long before the wedding this would happen, that people would try to tear her down and diminish her credibility as a member of the BRF because she is biracial and to be prepared for it. I feel for her, it’s not easy seeing the type of person they’ve made her daughter out to be knowing she can’t do anything about it.

      • kerwood says:

        @Taryn. Agreed. Doria’s been Black all her life; she knows how it works. Her husband’s children called her ‘the maid’. This is nothing new. I’m sure she’d like to pack her daughter and grand-son up, throw deuces to the mob and go somewhere quiet and safe. But I get the feeling she likes Harry and knows her daughter loves him. So she offers her support and prays that some other prominent man marries a Black woman, to take the heat off her family.

  14. Jen says:

    Sir must be face palming himself into a concussion comparing Wills and Harry. They’re so drastically different and only one is carrying on their mother’s legacy of kindness.

  15. Jessica says:

    I’ll never understand the outrage. The Royal family actively protects a pedophile but throws these two, really good ambassadors under the bus, ALL THE TIME!

  16. Tammy says:

    Even if they did nothing but bring awareness about these charities it’s doing more good than me composting my food scraps and recycling. So much money gets donated just by them mentioning something that this should not be an issue. Let them fly private for God’s sake! They have a child with them now and I’m sure security is much more of an issue than when it’s just them.

    • notasugarhere says:

      This. If charity donations roll into their Foundation from deep-pocketed friends or defenders? Clooneys, Elton John, Serena Williams, Beyonce, Ellen deGeneres? Harry and Meghan will be doing their jobs.

  17. JTrain says:

    One of the hardest things for narcissistic, entitled or insecure people to feel is when you don’t need them. How many people in the media and “The Firm” have they proved not to need? How many have they just gone around? How many people have lost exclusives? How many family members have had to up their “Keen” game?

    The problem is when the people who are attacking you can’t look past their own personal reactions, they can’t actually see that they are giving the Sussexes a louder and more powerful voice. And as the Sussexes do nothing, the more the opposition buries themselves.

    It’s at the point that even if this has nothing to do with the Cambridge’s, their mere silence is incriminating. Same with the Andrew situation! Even if you try to believe that their are no family leaks, you can’t resolve the fact that the family is insulating Andrew and…Fergie?!?, but not the Sussexes. The protection of Andrew also invalidates the “he’s going to be king argument”

    Word to the haters in the family: if you don’t like that someone is showing you up, show up better!

    Word to the haters in the media: Change your game. You are losing. The number of celebrities you are going to loose access to is going to rise daily. You are on the wrong side of this, and digging your heels in is going to loose you more than any inside scoop Kate and Carole give you about the keen nature of the future king and queen. Until William does more than pull “turnips” from his local garden no one is going to care about him.

    The Sussexes deserve an honest conversation /criticism. The worst part about it is that I think that they would probably welcome constructive criticism. In fact, they would probably thrive and work harder. Overachievers/caretakers from narcissistic families usually respond that way, which is way healthier than attacking your family…looking at you Willy ; )

  18. TeddyPicker says:

    As a hopefully more lighthearted aside, did anyone see the inspo Desmond Tutu post on the Sussex Royal instagram yesterday? I love that Meg is just going full on Duchess Influencer.

  19. Jess says:

    The more vitriol the British media spews, the more popular they get. The popular they get, they increase their importance over the glorified heirs. The celebs defending them might have backfired, but let’s be real here, Meghan and harry would’ve been crucified relentless without or without them speaking up for them. With that being said, I would prefer celebs taking up for harry and Meghan since they’re damned anyway.

    You know I was going to give criticism to this but like what celebitchy said, now that this has turned into another hate campaign, I’m just going to spend my energy defending. Oh well.

    • DS9 says:

      When these celebs fund H&M’s charity endeavors and/or pay for other expenses that save royal/public money, maybe they’ll shut up. Given what we know of Meghan’s work ethic, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear this trip had some work payoff.

      Honestly, I’d much rather these two rub elbows with celebs than the Turnip Toff.

    • PrincessK says:

      Very true the more criticism the more their popularity increases. Everyone wants to read about them.

      • Wowsers says:

        What are you basing this on? Genuine question. The latest Yougov poll has both Harry and Meghan dropping in popularity.

  20. Nic919 says:

    I think it’s disturbing that the media has managed to make the Andrew story equivalent to Harry and Meghan using a private jet. There are more than a few stories saying the Queen needs to speak with both Andrew and Harry as if hanging out with a pedophile is the same as taking a private jet, which is something they all have done. What Andrew has done is in such another level of disgusting and criminality that the media should be after him non stop.

  21. Rogue says:

    I don’t think Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres and now Pink speaking out helps especially as press is framing it as their speaking out about their use of private jets rather than press “character assassination” and “public bullying”. Plus critics already say they are too Hollywood and they are lefties so left leaning celebrities defending them won’t halt the hysterical negative press. I mean saw Daily Mail and another royal author seem to be suggesting the private jet story is parallel to Andrew’s Epstein drama which is why I say the coverage of Meghan is press manufactured hysteria.

    Emily Andrews was saying on twitter yesterday that Meghan had upset people in the royal family and household with her can do attitude and work ethic. Dont find her at all credible and could be the royal reporters are throwing the family under the bus because people are coming at them for their coverage.

    She also said she admires Meghan’s “sass” and “feistiness”. it’s a very familiar trope for black women- hard to find an example of a confident white woman being called sassy (likely bossy though cos sexism!) so example of why the reporting of Meghan is problematic as Emily’s unlikely aware of how stereotypical she is being.

    • jenny says:

      I agree, celebrities live in a bubble of their own, and this speaking out only makes them appear more uppity and in their own entitled world.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Yeah, use of that word ‘sass’ caught my eye as well.

    • notasugarhere says:

      At this point, every RR is aware of their coded language and their own intrinsic prejudices. They do it anyway. They’re fighting for their jobs and this is the their dying breath.

  22. DS9 says:

    Which would get me drunker faster? The amount of times a celebitchy writer types optics or how often Lainey says “inside baseball”?

    I will say the Cambridges have the faux peasantry act down to a science.

    Also, Elton hasn’t forgotten William is Diana’s son to. But Wills married an English rose who playacts at being middle class. So…

    • Taryn says:

      Lol faux peasantry is the exactly what I would call it! No matter what you think of her Kate is really carrying that family and their wholesome image.

      • Becks1 says:

        I often think of the Usual Suspects line when it comes to Will and Kate but can never quite make it work – the greatest trick the Cambridges ever pulled was convincing the world they were just like them.

    • Becks1 says:

      oh and also, I hate the term optics because it has become such a talking point around Meghan. The only term I hate worse is she “broke protocol.” Once in a while the word “optics” is appropriate but I think I’ve seen it 20 times in this thread at this point lol.

      • Taryn says:

        Optics to me is just a way of saying, “I don’t like her, she didn’t TECHNICALLY do anything wrong, but I can’t say that I just don’t like her so her demeanor and everything she does is bad optics.”

      • Becks1 says:

        @Taryn – yup! At this point I feel like it means exactly what you say.

        Like I said, once in a while it fits and is appropriate. But so many comments are along the lines of ‘Meghan needs to consider the optics.’

      • BayTampaBay says:

        To me optics means: what you did was not wrong it just did not look very good or could be interrupted in the wrong way.

      • DS9 says:

        Optics: She’s not wrong but I want a reason to talk shite

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @DS9, you hit the nail on the head! Optics gives people something to talk $hit about be it postie or negative.

        The guy who founded the Daily Mail in the 1800s said people are interested in money things, health things and sex things and they will pay good money to read about it.

      • Olenna says:

        Thank you, Taryn. That’s exactly what it means. The way people often use it here and on royal blogs or SM sites comes off as just a supercilious buzzword for dissing whichever royal they don’t like.

  23. Loretta says:

    Also Pink tweeted in defense of Meghan! The RRs are so pressed now LOL!

  24. Myra says:

    Most sane people in the world see the attack and abuse…yet the Brits can’t get over their racism to stop!

  25. Sassy says:

    There is valid criticism here but again it gets drowned out by royal reporters with an agenda. I really can’t believe people are really more upset over them flying private than having to support a pedophile and his mooching ex-wife? If you didn’t know Fergie lives with Andrew rent free.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      The only agenda Royal Reporters have is to sell newspapers!

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        If that was true they wouldn’t play games on their comment sections, as so many here have mentioned (and not moderating for legal reasons as mentioned down the page).* They are definitely pushing an agenda besides- and quite likely in the long run, in spite of- profit.

        *I’m equating clicks with papers since we know paper circulation is dropping and won’t rebound.

  26. Margareth says:

    LMAO at Cambridges fan who are crying on twitter “but also William is Diana’s son”. Sorry but William is protected by Palace, Harry and Meghan not.

    • Nic919 says:

      If William taking a private jet was being compared as an equivalent sin as Andrew associating and likely participating in sex trafficking then he would deserve being defended too. But that stuff never seems to happen to him.

      • DS9 says:

        Uhm because he and Kate do that shit on the low. Don’t they fly out in a helicopter so no one can pinpoint their comings and goings?

        The Cambridges are not at home puttering in the garden. They are just adept at making it look that way

      • Becks1 says:

        Re; the helicopter, it’s actually “better” than that. they built a taller hedge so no one could pinpoint their comings and goings. Before that people could see the arrivals on the helicopter. So they got a permit to have a taller hedge built for more privacy. But Harry and Meghan are the privacy obsessed ones…

        Anyway, Nic919 isn’t defending William at all. And it IS partly that Will and Kate are more adept at the appearances of “being normal,” but its also that at this point in time, the press don’t care about that and don’t call them out. A few years ago they used to get some mild criticism for lavish vacations, private jets(especially compared to work schedules) but for some reason all that criticism was silenced…….around May 2018. Gee, wonder why.

        (but the lack of criticism is what Nic is pointing out, even though the actions are the same.)

      • Nic919 says:

        I think my posting history shows where I stand on William. And the helicopters are definitely something the press is overlooking now. Niraj Tanna retweeted some of his critical tweets about William and Kate using the helicopters for frivolous reasons, but those were from 2016 pre Meghan. Interesting how the criticism of the overuse of helicopters to go from KP and Norfolk has not happened since then. In a country as small as England, there is no justification for the frequency of use of the helicopters and the fact that rules were changed so that anytime William and Kate use it they don’t need to claim that specific trip since it all now falls under a general expense category.

      • notasugarhere says:

        It was former posters, LAK or bluhare, who dug around and found the facts about the W&K use of helicopters. That’s why they wanted the hedge, so people couldn’t keep track of their arrivals and departures and prove how often they used the helos for fun.

      • blue36 says:

        Where did LAK go?

    • PrincessK says:

      Well said Margaret!

  27. PrincessK says:

    On DM there are only a handful of comments on some of the Andrew articles but thousands of comments are allowed through for stupid Sussex stories about using private plans, whereas the Andrew matter is serious news. Double standards yet again!

    • BayTampaBay says:

      @PrincessK, there may only be a handful of critical comments posted over at the Daily Fail but other gossip sites (such as the DataLounge) are just as critical in posts on Andrew & Fergie as Celebitchy.

    • Elisa says:

      which version of the DM are you reading? On the DM UK website there are now 5 articles on Andrew/Epstein (one an exclusive) and around 3.000 comments… IMO Andrew is going down and the BRF won’t be able to protect him.

    • notasugarhere says:

      I expect they moderate the comments on Andrew articles for legal reasons.

      • PrincessK says:

        Yes, the Andrew articles are heavily moderated but the Sussex articles are left open to the wolves.

  28. MellyMel says:

    The fact that some are more bothered by this than the whole Andrew situation is sicking. Hell, look at the number of comments H&M stories get compared to Pedo Andy.

    • L4frimaire says:

      They’ve been bothered since Harry started dating her back in 2016. Also I somewhat disagree with some of this. It’s almost like the British public were asleep at the wheel when it comes to Royals, their finances, how they work and causes they support. They didn’t even pay much attention to Harry, which is why they think he suddenly changed and got woke when Meghan came along. For one thing Meghan isn’t some radical eco warrior type, never been. She’s more a use cloth shopping bags and recycle type, but supports those who want more innovative change. She’s a liberal who believes in democratic institutions, patriotic, voted for Hillary, traveled A LOT and on private jets before Harry because she enjoyed her hard earned money. She is a feminist, but who colored in the lines, and believes charities can fill the gaps. I think she might have thought royal life could adapt more to her while she hoped to make a positive impact. No one could deal with this level of blowback and scrutiny without being hardened by it and she will cut you off if you push her too hard, but won’t be vocal about it. Look at her fathers family. She’s been through this cycle for a long time so she’ll do what she thinks is right, not necessarily what we think is a good look.

      • kerwood says:

        Well said.

        It appears that the media is hoping that the Duchess of Sussex is crying into her pillow every night because a lot of people who have a lot of hate in their hearts and way too much spare time, don’t like her. Meghan is living her BEST life. She’s got her prince, her baby and a private plane gassed up and ready to go whenever she wants it.

        Meghan grew up with racists in her own family. This isn’t the first time she’s had to deal with lunatics. She said, ‘they don’t make it easy’, but she DIDN’T say, ‘they make it very hard’. The walls of her home are probably thick enough to drown out all the background noise. She’s probably more concerned about her friends and family who can’t ignore all the hate.

        And when her magazine breaks sales records, she’ll come out on top. AGAIN.

        Meanwhile the pedophile is laughing at all of those more concerned about vacations than the fact that he raped young girls. That’s how men like that get away with it. They know nobody REALLY cares.

  29. Rivkah says:

    That was a really nice thing for Elton to do.

  30. L4frimaire says:

    I don’t know. At this point if they take a commercial flight, which they probably will at some point, will be a security and logistics nightmare. They’ll be criticized if they go 1st or business class or if there are delays. Then passengers will bitch about how they were told not to take photos or they couldn’t take off until the Sussex’s were on. Then they’d be criticized for being hypocrites to show how “normal” they are and that flying is bad even on commercial and they shouldn’t go anywhere beyond a 10 mile radius of Frogmore. Grazia Uk had a somewhat sane article on this. Said they’re not just celebrities, or royals, but THE royals. And the ones who get the most death threats as well.

    • PrincessK says:

      Well I hope that the Sussexes in the future make use of private jets if it makes sense to do so, I don’t see why they should bow to the manipulative media. If they never take a private jet again the media will think they can control them and then will attempt to force them to give more access to Archie, details of birth plans, names of godparents, names of Archie’s nannies, schedule of all visits Doria makes, stop Meghan wearing Givenchy and messy buns and cupping any future pregnant tummy…..

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        Agreed. The media seem to think this is a case of their toys acting out and must be punished. I’m filled with glee that their papers are tanking, I’ll do a dance of joy when they finally fold.

  31. Everything is relative says:

    If celebrities and the uber rich would stop pushing the “we’re just like you” narrative and retreat to their rarified existence, then flying around in private jets and vacationing in luxury villas wouldn’t be such a scandal.
    They are rich and they do rich people things. Shrug.

    • DS9 says:

      I don’t know that H&M have ever pressed that narrative. The Cambridges, sure. But Meghan, not so much.

  32. Léna says:

    If we take offense for this private jets, should we also take offense at the music tours celebrities are doing ? I mean that must be crazy in terms of pollution doing concerts every two days and flying private jets every two days

  33. RoyalBlue says:

    The support from Elton, Ellen, Pink, et al is most welcomed, given that radio silence coming from the Royal palaces. Imagine living in a house where no one supports you but only speaks up to deny the future consort uses Botox. Disgusting.

  34. alibeebee says:

    My husband used to be in the air force in Canada. He did search and rescue and a bunch of other top secret stuff. people are losing their poop over this.. but he reminded me .. planes need to fly . they have to have so many hours of flight time. So if Harry and Meg didn’t take that particular plane, my husband pointed out it would have been in the air regardless with or without passengers. He couldn’t begin to tell me how many flights he had to fly empty ” just because” to maintain flight ready status. you think you can park a plane for an indeterminate amount of time and then rev it up a week, month … later and fly it ? Nope .. all planes need to be primed at the ready and flown to ensure everything is a ok. So what they took a private plane. that plane would have been in the air for a certain amount of time regardless.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      Regarding optics: Two vacations back-to-back and the back and forth trips between the UK & Europe bothered me more than this private plane nonsense.

      Regarding optics: Meghan having an expensive private baby shower did not bother me. Meghan having the baby shower in NYC did.

      • MsIam says:

        You realize your arguments make no sense right, lol?

      • Becks1 says:

        omg Bay! are we still talking about the baby shower?

        If Meghan had had the baby shower in London, then all her friends would have had to fly to London. How is that better than Meghan and Amal flying to NYC?

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Becks1, I am referring to the optics of a baby shower in general not the carbon footprint.

        IMHO, If you marry a British prince and give birth to a future British Prince, it might be a good idea to have the baby shower in Great Britain.

      • Taryn says:

        @BayTampaBay baby showers aren’t typically “done” in the UK, so she choose to celebrate one thrown by her American friends in a place where it’s tradition, where is the issue? Archie isn’t by definition a prince anyway.

      • nic919 says:

        Pippa threw Kate a baby shower at one point and she was praised for modernizing British traditions.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Mary hasn’t been required to give up her love of Australia. They go on vacation there every couple of years.

        Maxima hasn’t had to give up her love of Argentina. They bought a home there and vacation in Argentina with the girls a couple months a year.

        FFS Christmas trees are a tradition in the UK mostly because Albert brought the tradition with him from Germany.

        But Meghan is required to leave behind any scrap of her birth country or traditions because? Because? And if she did, she’d be attacked for that too.

      • kerwood says:

        Her AMERICAN friends threw the baby shower. And as citizens of the USofA, they had the right to hold it anywhere they wanted. Meghan was probably happy to get of England for a few days. She probably didn’t realize that the same bullshit would be waiting for her on her own home soil.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Great insight, thank you.

    • PrincessK says:

      Good point alibeebee!

  35. Jaded says:

    I think Meghan and Harry are just going to keep on keeping on, doing their work, being visible but maintaining their personal privacy while the grubby little RRs and gutter press rats will continue to dig themselves into a huge hole. When you get important and hugely philanthropic celebrities like Sir Elton and Ellen Degeneres sticking up for you in a very public way, you know things have gone too far with the Meghan-bashing and racism. I say let there be an all-out war on these cretinous media hacks.

  36. Nina Pensa says:

    I really don t care about they spend on their holidays nor if they take a three amonths vacation. But the thing is Harry is preaching about how we all should take care of environment and the truth is that he doesn’t.

    • MsIam says:

      So you walk everywhere and use candles at night then right? Plus why are you on the internet? The biggest production of emissions comes from the generation of electricity, not planes, even private planes! These 24/7 network servers use a ton of electricity.

      • Susan says:

        Because she’s not asking for everyone to praise her for what she says and not what she does. If you can’t live by your words, you shouldn’t preach about this stuff and lecture the rest of the world about it, or you should expect valid criticism. Harry and Meghan are free to take private planes as anyone is but If they do, they should keep quiet on climate change related issues.

    • PrincessK says:

      I have worked on environmental issues for almost two decades, and I try to practise what I preach but even as an ordinary person there are still tons of things that I do that are unsustainable. Royaltly, politicians and celebrities are not ordinary people and their carbon footprints are bound to be bigger than ordinary folk. If Harry and Megs make a bigger footprint but uses his influence to bring about even bigger change in the world that is fine by me.

    • kerwood says:

      @Nina Pensa What preaching? I’d really love to see a link to these ‘sermons’ because I’ve heard so much about them. Could you provide a link?

    • Le4Frimaire says:

      This is highly unrealistic to say someone doesn’t care for the environment because they take planes. A few summer trips is being blown way out of proportion. Complain about the rich but it’s wasted time until we advocate for better policies like higher wages, Green new deal and more taxes s for wealthy. Gutting the clean air act by allowing increase in emissions or allowing more drilling on public lands and subsidizing coal is not caring for environment. Yes it sucks they travel so much and sometimes make it too easy to drag them , but the technology is not there yet to not fly . Honestly, until big aviation and government is behind it , and we all go on an air strike, this is the technology we’re stuck with for now. I hope all this tabloid nonsense leads to a much bigger dialog and gets more of us seriously thinking about it.

  37. Myra says:

    To Sarabe and friends: I spend all day slaying MAGA in both my professional work and amongst friends/neighbors. I don’t have a problem defending my opinion on the abuse and attacks on Harry/Meghan/Archie by the British media and yes some of it’s people. I respect your counter narrative so please respect mine. No need to name call or report my name to the moderator. Defend your opinion with Facts don’t try and silence someone who disagrees with you.

    • Molly says:

      The debate on this site is fascinating. Hopefully everyone can respect each persons point of view.

    • Bella DuPont says:

      @ Myra

      Re Maga: The one positive to come out of this whole fiasco though, is that Trumpers and long term climate change deniers now can’t sleep for all the damage Meghan + Harry are causing to the climate!

    • Tina says:

      If you had used the word “some” to begin with, no one would have objected.

  38. Dark and Stormy says:

    This is somewhat off topic but I just went to the website that Elton referenced and assuming I was fairly accurate in reporting my consumption, my carbon footprint is about 9.54 my countries average is 16.49, and apparently the goal is to get everyone down to 2. I don’t really understand how they came to all their footprints, like why does having insurance contribute to my footprint? And was I only supposed to add that for my car or also medical? I think it’s very unlikely I could make anywhere near enough changes to get down to 2, but I’m reading their recommendations next. It’s kind of an interesting page but I wish I understood more, plus in the US (at least in the larger city that I lived in) autos have emissions tests and I’m not sure this website accounted for that. If you have car trouble that causes an emission failure I think they don’t let you back on the road until it’s fixed. We also had to pay a fee under certain circumstances (like if your car was an older model).

    • BeanieBean says:

      I think the whole idea is interesting but also baffling. Can someone enlighten me how it’s OK for rich people to pollute as long as they ‘buy’ carbon offsets? It just seems like a variation on buying yourself out of trouble or assuaging your guilt over your own profligacy.

      • Dark and Stormy says:

        I could make a payment to offset my carbon footprint as well, the website said the donation goes towards planting trees, creating renewable resources, etc. Basically you’re funding a charity or foundation that does eco friendly work but I decided against donating because I don’t understand how all of those things listed would contribute to carbon emissions. Plus we already get taxed/fined where I live as well as receiving incentives to reduce so I’m not sure how accurate this is. I do wonder how many trees would have to be planted to make up for the number of private jets that are used. I’m not sure that any major celeb like the royals would ever come close to neutralizing the amount of emissions they’re producing.

      • Elisa says:

        right? it’s such a hypocrisy and they actually believe they are doing good. Le sigh…
        I just did the wwf footprint calculator and my footprint is half the UK’s average, so I`m feeling pretty good right now.

      • PrincessK says:

        It is still better than doing sod all!

    • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

      Sounds interesting, which website?

  39. Sof says:

    Has Harry ever received this kind of treatment from the media?
    I know this is not the time to say it, but as the stories get more and more aggresive, I’m starting to feel that he is not doing enough to protect Meghan. See how Kensington shuts any stupid rumor about Kate? (seriously, does anyone thinks less of her for using wiglets?) Can’t Harry do the same? Sue the a**hole who posted that pic of a monkey comparing it to Archie, for instance?

    • blue36 says:

      Kensington Palace is for only the Cambridges, and has always been that way even when Harry was under KP. They will only defend their bosses. The same goes with Buckingham Palace, yes the Sussexes have their own PR team, but they still have to go through the head of PR/communications at BP and they are not going to go all out defending Harry and Meghan against the media, especially since its now getting the attention off of Andrew – for them this is a win. Plus, what can Harry and Meghan sue them over? There needs to be a legit case for them to take the media to court. So far its only happened once – ie the pics of their bedrooms in Cotswold. I think if they had a legal avenue to stop all the negative press they would have used it by now. It just goes to show who has power in the RF and who does not. Andrew despite being further down the line gets all the protection from the palace because he’s the Queen’s favourite. The only way H&M can really have command over what information of theirs is being released is if they had their own court like Charles, the Queen and William do, but because he’s further down the line he never will have one (not hat he needs one anyway since he’s not going to be king). If they wanted to separate themselves and establish their own offices and run it their own way, they need enough money of their own to do so, which I highly doubt they do. If they want to ever leave the RF in the future, they have to be able to set up their own method of earning income.

  40. Cee says:

    The press is hypocrite and they’re showing it. If you’re gonna bash H&M then you need to bash the Cambridges’ luxury family holiday to a resort only accessible to the 1% of the 1%. Otherwise they need to shut up and sit down.

  41. Molly says:

    We live in challenging times. Thank you to the moderator of this site for keeping it interesting! CNN just had a segment on Elton and the Sussex’s. The US Press seems to reflect the opionions of most on this site. The British tabloid media has overstepped the mark on the abuse of Meghan and that it must stop.

    • PrincessK says:

      Yes, I also saw the CNN segment (my hubby who loves CNN but doesn’t follow the royals at all is beginning to get very annoyed with the way the British press keeps bashing the Sussexes)

      I think that the situation will eventually get to breaking point….it has been relentless for more than two years, and ramped up when Meghan got pregnant and had the enormously successful Oceania tour putting the Cambridges in the shade.

  42. HeyThere! says:

    Thankful for them they have friends in high places that are willing to. At for them!!! Ugh. Leave Meghan and Harry alone, World!

  43. TheOriginalMia says:

    I’ve had it with the hypocrisy of reporting on Meghan and Harry. The entire BRF ride around in cars, planes and helicopters, but these two are the reasons Mother Earth is dying. Spare me this faux ass outrage. We have destroyed the Earth and we all have to change things to save it. These carbon offset programs may not do a lot, but they are doing something.

  44. Shannon says:

    I’m honestly curious how else they would fly? It wouldn’t be particularly safe for them to fly commercial. This seems like such a big deal over nothing. Because of course.

  45. Susan says:

    Elton John’s defense of him paying for this is some of the most tone deaf, rich defending the rich, bullshit. Especially since the criticism for this trip wasn’t about who paid for it. And the whole carbon offset excuse is just another rich person “pay our way out of doing the right/legal thing” that is galling.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      I think Elton’s response made everything worse but his heart was definitely in the right place.

      Elton seems to me to be very loyal to his friends and very good bloke in general.

  46. Gingerbee says:

    Damn, if I was rich, you better believe that I will not be flying commercial. Hell, even now I dread flying “cattle class.”

  47. Mego says:

    Their celebrity connections who like them are upset about the ridiculous hate campaign directed at them by the media. I am sure their instagram focus on pride month meant a lot to Elton and Ellen.

  48. RoyalBlue says:

    So many trolls here today.

  49. Gingerbee says:

    I am so glad that Sir Elton and others are speaking up for the Sussexes.

    The trolls are pissed, because famous people are talking about it.

  50. Dorothy says:

    I’ve blocked people over this – when I see them bullying her they are out, done and won’t be allowed in my life again, showing themselves as hateful as they are I’m don e

  51. Birds eye view says:

    They aint so ‘woke’ that they cant see the optics on this looks bad…however i still dont know why th press r not all over P andrew instead of this.

  52. Justwastingtime says:

    Hmmm.. have to acknowledge that I am at JFK been here for two hours and expect to be here for at least another two due to another massively delayed flight ( did I mention that my flight from LA was three hours late so I arrived at my hotel at 1am?)

    I digress but you see the rage that flying creates so I get being pissed off at people who fly private. I do not get only applying that standard to Meghan

  53. kerwood says:

    It seems that people don’t understand the concept of private planes. Very few people actually OWN a plane and have it parked in their garage. They essentially lease the plane through a company. That way the company is responsible for upkeep and staffing and the lessee calls when they want to travel.

    I have no doubt that people so concerned about the ‘optics’ of Harry and Meghan’s recent travel, recycle every single thing they consume. They drive electric cars, but only for emergencies. Other times they ride a bicycle or walk, no matter how far. These heroes share bathwater and use moss for their babies instead of disposable diapers. And of course, no flush toilets for them! Compost all the way!!!! Thanks eco-warriors for all you do for the earth!!!!

  54. Becks1 says:

    Jessica Mulroney just put a comment on IG, which tells me Meghan is upset and hurt over this. JM rarely posts such pointed references to the DoS (after the wedding weekend, I can only think of maybe two other times).

  55. Denny says:

    Guys, it’s totally cool that they are using their notoriety to abstain from paying any taxes for their celebrity. No one needs to ask any questions. We should totally accept this for all other celebrities from here on out.

  56. noway says:

    I’m throwing this out there, I think Meghan and Harry did this on purpose in order to throw the press off of Andrew. First Meghan and Harry are smart. Meghan went to Northwestern and has a degree in International Relations. She’s definitely smart, plus PR savvy from her Hollywood days. Apparently they are very good at avoiding pictures. We never got Meghan pictures of her going to her shower. In fact we didn’t know she was there until a few days she’d been there. We don’t have pictures of them at Ibiza and we now have some confirmation. Harry just got tons of publicity for saying he only wants 2 kids, while talking about people’s carbon footprints. I’m sorry they had to know when they take a private jet to Elton John’s estate it was going to be a big story. Plus Archie was all dressed up. I think they knew. People on here are just assuming cause you think Andrew is a pedophile that his nephew who he seemed to have a pretty good relationship thinks the same thing. He may love him and think he’s being railroaded who knows? I’m sure if I grew up royal I’m not going to believe a lot of what was written about anyone either. He knows what was written about him and Meghan is bs why wouldn’t he believe his uncle. Plus, he knows they are going to get publicity and crap thrown at them no matter what. Why not provide some cover for his Uncle. Just thinking as I was reading this, cause it’s kind of a rookie move to edit British Vogue and put on Environmentalist on the magazine, have Harry talk about being conscious of the resources you use and then fly on a private jet and let them get pictures of it to boot. I really don’t think they are that big of rookies when it comes to PR. Both Harry and Meghan chose to be working royals. They could have stepped away if they wanted to as Harry has quite a bit of money, Meghan isn’t poor, and Charles would probably give him some to if he needed it. I think they know Andrew’s publicity is much worse for the monarchy than any stupid gossip about Meghan and Harry.

  57. blue36 says:

    So now what should they do though? How do Harry and Meghan handle this? Would apologizing and saying they will not use private jets in the future help or do they not respond at all? Not that it’s going to stop the negative press in the future, but this is legitimate criticism (that has been overblown by the tabloids for the sake of clicks) that has to be handled in a professional manner and taken seriously.

    • VS says:

      Why is there anything to handle at all? The day when you ask the same thing of Prince Charles and PW, then I will agree with you……………. otherwise this is all BS
      Go Meghan (because this is mostly about that WOC daring to enjoy her privilege ) drive then nuts!!!!!!!!

  58. Sarah says:

    This is nothing more than a white bitterness problem. No one else cares. White bitterness in these comments, the white bitterness of the British press and white bitterness of white people in general. Just bitter for no damn reason at all since they are the cause of 99% of the world’s problems to begin with.

    And how the hell do y’all expect people to travel? Even white people’s logic is dumb as hell. SMH