Yesterday, Prince Harry was in Edinburgh for a conference about his Travalyst initiative, which is something I still don’t completely understand, but it involves ecotourism and finding more eco-friendly ways of traveling. Harry flew from Canada to the UK on a commercial flight and then took the LNER train – a low-emission train in the UK – up to Scotland. Of course people were nitpicking him about this, because how dare Harry “preach” environmentalism while he flies on planes and breathes air. That kind of nitpicking is rarely done for Prince William and Prince Charles, both of whom “preach” environmentalism too. None of those men has a perfect environmental record, but only one of them is taunted by the press, is my point. Add to that, Harry seemed perfectly fine with being introduced as “just Harry,” and now the British press is drowning in salt.
The journalist who introduced the Duke of Sussex as ‘just Harry’ at an Edinburgh conference yesterday has said she thinks he ‘doesn’t need a title to be a big deal.’ Former Labour advisor Ayesha Hazarika told crowds at the sustainable travel event in the Scottish capital yesterday: ‘He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry.’
Ms Hazarika said he was ‘warm and relaxed’ and ‘didn’t look like a man wracked with anxiety’ about the debate over his and Meghan’s titles after their decision to step down as working royals. She told Good Morning Britain today: ‘He was very warm, relaxed and seemed very focus on the reason he was up there. He was pretty chilled out. One thing I did notice was that he was very informal. He wandered around very freely with all the other delegates. I got the impression he is very focused on what he wants to do. He was pretty defiant as well. I didn’t sense that he thinks ‘this has all been a nightmare, I’m going to hide away.’ From the reaction he got and the way he conducted himself, he clearly doesn’t need a title to be a big deal.’
Ms Hazarika explained today: ‘I was a bit nervous about how to introduce him. It’s been a huge fandangle over his title. I said ‘what do you call him?’ and they said just call him Harry.’ She added that ‘while there are those who don’t like him’, Meghan and Harry ‘have a huge platform’.
Presenter Susanna Reid retorted: ‘I’m not sure it’s about not liking them. But Harry is talking about sustainable travel, so rather than flying in why wouldn’t you skype into the conference?’
The journalist replied: ‘First of all the conference is about four pillars of travel, not just aviation. Yes he flew here from Canada, but he got the train up. We are a generation where we fly, we fly all over the world to see our loved ones, for work. That is not really going to change all that much. The question is how do we mitigate that?’
Why didn’t Harry Skype in? Why didn’t Charles Skype into Davos last month for his big environmental announcement? Why doesn’t William Skype in to Kenya instead of making his mysterious trips to Jecca Craig’s family estate? We’ll never know. As for Harry and how “he doesn’t need a title to be a big deal,” it’s true. But the whole point of the Queen’s punitive actions is so that the racist British press can revel in how “upset” Harry and Meghan are to be “punished.” So the fact that Harry is just like *shrug* about it is causing some headaches.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I love him. He has zero delusions of grandeur. I had to go no contact with my family 15 years ago after years of covert abuse that no one outside of our home really understood. They have tried for years to further destroy my life in unimaginably vindictive ways, but nothing can ruin the sweet taste of freedom when one has lived under tyranny for so long. He DGAF about the royal lifestyle. He feels like he escaped a lifelong hostage situation. So yeah, call him Harry. He was over his titles the day his mom died, I’d say. This day has been a long time in coming for him.
I’m so sorry that you had to go through that, Abby, and glad for you that you’re enjoying freedom.
I am so proud of him for this, too. JUST HARRY. I love it.
Glad you got yourself free, Abby. <3
Preach, ditto, and AMEN.
Harry is reclaiming his time. He is firm in his goals and his purpose and DGAF about the reptile rota. And why should he care about the pwecious feewings of the BRF when they never cared about his?
He’s going about his business like a man secure in his love for his new little family, secure in his choices. He’s out there getting on with it, which sends a message to the Rota and the courtiers “you have no power over me anymore, and y’all can die mad about it packed in your own salt”. BRF wields most of their power through the courtiers and the rota to keep its members in line. Hazza waited until they all poured gasoline all over themselves, and then flicked a match. You love to see it.
Omid Scobie has an article in Bazaar online today discussing this event and what they are trying to achieve in excellent detail. He also mentions that none of the Royal Rota were invited to attend. So all the RR stories about this event are second hand. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I don’t understand why They need their royal titles for their brand.Harry&Meghan or Meghan&Harry is more reliable and everyone know them
It shouldn’t, but the whole “why didn’t he skype in” is just cracking me up. Maybe because you can so clearly see the new talking point forming – just skype!!!
(also, its not like he flew to the UK just for this meeting. he’s there for a few weeks.)
in general, I’m interested to see travalyst develop. Yes, flying is SO BAD for the environment. But people are going to do it, and they’re going to travel in general, so how do we make that better for the environment – can we make it better?
I’m with you on this Becks1. These people won’t be happy unless the Sussexes use a canoe for ocean travel and roller skates for ground travel. This appeal for the Sussexes to SKYPE, also begs the question, why don’t the Cambridge’s SKYPE Ireland? Why doesn’t the Queen stop taking the train to Sandringham and just how the hell does she justify traveling to Balmoral? Why do any of us ever use a plane, train, automobile, etc. One can be an environmentalist and still live in the existing world. Or is this the sixties ‘Love It or Leave It’ nasty theme all over again: If you use fuel sourced transport you cannot be pro-environment!? Really liked Ms Hazarika’ response: ‘First of all the conference is about four pillars of travel, not just aviation. Yes he flew here from Canada, but he got the train up. We are a generation where we fly, we fly all over the world to see our loved ones, for work. That is not really going to change all that much. The question is how do we mitigate that?’
Hazarika’s answer was brilliant and spot on
Both Willy & Andy are known for helo hops.
Agree, it’s moving the goal posts. Besides, everything I’ve read says it’s car travel and electricity that are the big offenders in emissions, not planes.
Agree with her points. Skype is fine for touch bases, but you need face to face contact and networking for certain things. We will be flying for the foreseeable future and that’s just the reality. The only way to slow air travel are viruses, volcanoes and terrorism, and none of us want that. The airline industry is aware they’re the evil ones on climate, aircraft is lighter, more fuel efficient, but there is no carbon neutral solution yet. Solar power is not feasible for long haul flights, too much weight and technology not there yet. It’s easy to say stop doing this, that, and the other, but we often mean stop other people doing it, and don’t take away my job, my access to convenience, or raise my taxes. At least this initiative is starting with some workable, solutions that hopefully will benefit communities impacted.
Agreed on both counts. And if he HAD Skyped in they would have accused him of not caring enough to show up in person. You can’t win with these people so it’s best to just ignore them.
The big elephant in the room, and what is ten times worse than flying – well, 8% to 2% of global emissions – is social media. All that data is stored in massive data farms. All those farms need incredible amounts of energy to power them.
Getting off Insta could really help the planet (so could developing an alternative to concrete, a hideous polluter). It really is an urgent issue
I wonder how many of us so concerned for the environment are willing to cancel our Amazon accounts? Imagine the carbon footprint that “two days shipping anywhere in the world” has created in just the last five years?
If you are ordering toilet paper and dog food on Amazon delivered to your front door you are a bigger part of the problem than Prince (I’m not going to stop using it!) Harry showing up in person.
So Happy Harry seems to have risen above all the pettiness!
Their punishment is obviously not sticking! 😊
If he doesn’t need a title then why all the hullabaloo about “Royal”? I feel like a mixed message from those two.
The “hullabaloo” about use of “Royal” was drama manufactured via a leak from the palace and is another instance of the tabloid press instigating hate and vitriol when they have perfectly viable stories surrounding Andrew available if they cared about real truth and justice. And how dare Harry and Meghan put out a statement of their own to squash all the ridiculous press theories and speculation, right? The Sussexes were explicitly clear that this convo had occurred in the original meeting in January. This was yet another case of someone from the palace leaking the “story” and the tabloids spinning it as negatively as possible. The message is only mixed because one side (the tabloids) think the truth is optional.
The tabloids are really driving this narrative, trying to get the royals to do their bidding, and trying to influence how the public thinks. They’ve really lost the plot. It’s like Black Mirror or something by Orwell. Are they holding the royal family hostage or blackmailing them? Can they really be this dysfunctional and odd brand. Soooo messy.
This is like saying why do Kennedy’s or Bloomberg kids get advantages.We know why. Because he actually IS a royal. Part of it is the principle of it. Why strip him because he just wants to work and not have his family be subjected to an untenable situation? Others Royals commit sex crimes or make money and accept foreign funding, while fully using their title. That is obviously hypocritical. That’s their governmental system, they don’t seem to want to change it, except for the guy born into it, who hasn’t actually done anything that would warrant taking the title. This is also bad for the Royals because they treat something that is supposed to be steady and a solid foundation, and start taking bricks out of it, based on their whims or who they like or don’t like. What if Charles decided he didn’t want William to be the heir and decides to give it to his Gloucester cousins; he can’t just do that. That’s why this looks so arbitrary and petty.
He never made a hullabaloo about “Royal.” They stopped pursuing the trademark in mid-January.
These two have the most consistent message of any of the RF.
“those two”…wow.
@Ava if you’re getting mixed messages then you’re just not very bright. Sorry to break the news this way.
Bazingaaaaaaa ………….funny but oh so very true!!! how can you be getting mixed messages from “those two” if you are able to “think” for a min or two?
I like Harry, but like all royals, he is a bit of a basic bitch. The most interesting thing about him is Meghan.
Huh?
Pfffft. Whatever.
LOL
I know it’s unpopular, but I have to agree. He is as spoiled as the rest of them. Yea, he has recently ‘done work’ and grown up, but it has everything to do with the woman he married.
I have mad respect for her — eh, he’s still getting his bills covered by his Dad.
We shall see.
He’s spoiled?? This is a man who spent 10 years in the military, and said he loved it because he was treated like just one of the guys. That’s not how spoiled people react to military discipline.
@Guest, you’re no Meghan fan. You’re a troll. I see you.
Really have to disagree. This is factually incorrect – very, very easy to see many examples of pre-Meghan maturity and work all over the web. One good example is his interview by the Obama Foundation in Oct 2017. Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/eIXFLLYAxSY
Well done Harry for actually walking the walk and innovating a solid, actionable initiative to make a real difference in the way we travel. I’m so excited to see where Travalyst takes this, but from their statements thus far I think their focuses on sustainability, protecting wildlife, benefitting local communities and encouraging new developments in aviation technology are admirable, impactful and desperately needed.
This is just another example of Harry and Meghan putting in actual work that will have tangible results that better people’s lives, instead of empty platitudes and optics. Maybe when will’s “bestest-climate-awards-ever-no-really-better-than-the-nobel-prize-even” thing gets off the ground he can give Travalyst the first award for actually doing something instead of just talking the talk.
This initiative looks to have great potential and I am 100% behind it’s premise, but there is nothing at all solid or actionable about it – as of yet.
I am optimistic, but to date it is a concept.
The tabloid gatekeepers were so upset that a Harry used his actual name to be introduced. All the sputtering and fussing, but they created this. If they weren’t so fixated on titles and what the Sussexes will do, this would not be a big deal. However, the press and the Royal family have made it the biggest deal ever, so Harry just side stepped it and carried on. You know they were waiting to say something, like how dare he profit off his title, how dare he disrespect the Queen. He also looked really good. Then Charles had some little blurb on his Twitter about meeting with industry leaders discussing sustainable travel. Was so silly. No one was paying attention to that except to drag it.
ITA. That tweet from CH was so petty, it just made Charles look ridiculous and small. He can hype will’s nebulous PR-focused award, but that’s his response to Harry’s actual, tangible initiative for change? And I wonder who’s behind his social media presence, could it be his comms secretary Julian who was caught on his own personal twitter account liking awful, hateful, disparaging tweets about Meghan? Shocker. These people are so bad at PR it’s actually laughable.
Why didn’t he Skype in? Because the Queen called them to the UK for a series of duties. Why would he Skype into this meeting, when he has to be in the region for other commitments? That makes no sense.
The BRF has such a hideously racist, colonial and misogynist history, there is no real place for progressive folks in that family.
I know Harry is over the BS and can’t wait for this nonsense to end and they can leave the country. I think Harry and Meghan are just over it.
I like H and M and wish them huge success over their toxic families. PSA though, I am so sick of headline about the royals, both here and other media outlets. I just don’t want to read about them (ANY of them) unless it’s people calling Andrew out on his Epstein association. I can’t stand to look at Will, Kate or the Queen right now, but I feel like there’s nothing else going on/being covered in celebrity new lately
I love how Harry is saying to his family: “You want to take away the titles, the property, and branding rights? Fine. Do it. IDGAF.” And takes his ginger swagger and goes on and does great things DESPITE them. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.
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She’s absolutely right. The idiots at the palace shot themselves in the foot by bullying away their biggest assets. I mean who in their right mind would purposely say they dont support their own against media bullying!!! I’m glad American media is picking this up. The Australians have also voiced their rejection of cambridges visiting. This will end up being like the commercial flight stunts which later followed Charles who was criticised for using pj. Soon people will question why the taxpayers need to pay for them especially when queen is worth £350mil!