Smiling Prince Harry puts private jet storm behind him as he attends the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley
- The Duke of Sussex settled into the stands for the competition’s 118th final between St Helens and Warrington
- Queen and other Royals bunkered down at Balmoral to shake off scrum of media attention amid accusations
- A row over the Sussexes trips on a gas-guzzling private jet – paid for by Elton John – erupted earlier this week
- And Prince Andrew’s relationship with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continues to grab headlines
Prince Harry appeared in gallant mood as he joined thousands of rugby league fans at Wembley for the Challenge Cup final clash this afternoon, looking to relax after a tough week of criticism.
The Duke of Sussex, who was not accompanied by his wife Meghan, walked out on to the pitch to meet the players in the competition’s 118th cup tie, which pitted sides St Helens and Warrington in the race for silverware.
The Queen and other Royals have bunkered down at Balmoral this weekend to shake off a scrum of media attention and display a united front in the wake of a flurry of accusations levelled at some members of the Family.
A row over the Sussexes overseas trips aboard a gas-guzzling private jet erupted this week, before being exacerbated even further by Prince William and Kate’s use of a modest £73 budget flight.
And Prince Andrew’s friendship with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continues to grab headlines after footage obtained by the Mail on Sunday showed the Duke of York inside the billionaire’s Manhattan mansion.
But Harry today sought to cap off an intense week under the spotlight by enjoying the match, which was set to kick off at 3pm.
Prince Harry appears in gallant mood as he walked out on to the pitch at Wembley for the Challenge Cup final clash this afternoon, looking to relax after a tough week of criticism
Harry meets players and mascots as he today sought to cap off an intense week under the spotlight by enjoying the match, which was set to kick off at 3pm
The Duke walks out into the stadium before meeting both teams, shaking the players’ hands and singing the national anthem
The Duke meets mascots before the game, which marks the first time Merseyside-based St Helens will meet Cheshire side Warrington in the final as the bitter North West rivalry is brought to London
Dressed in a slim-fitting navy blue suit and grey tie, the Duke met both teams before the game and shook the players’ hands before standing to sing the national anthem.
The match also marks the first time Merseyside-based St Helens will meet Cheshire side Warrington in the final as the bitter North West rivalry is brought to London.
On Thursday Prince William, his wife Kate and their children were spotted getting off a £73 budget flight to Scotland amid the row over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘s private jet trips.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took the 8.45am flight from Norwich International Airport to Aberdeen with their children on August 22, with the royal couple and their family spotted being escorted from the budget FlyBe plane and getting into waiting vehicles.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to join the Royals in Balmoral shortly, though it is not thought they have arrived yet.
The Duke of Sussex met players as he looked to relax with an afternoon of rugby after a tough week which saw row over the Sussexes overseas trips aboard a gas-guzzling private jet erupt
Harry stands to sing the national anthem along with scores of rugby league fans who flocked to Wembley to watch St Helens face off against Warrington
Thousands of spectators rise to their feet to participate in a minute’s applause for tragic player Archie Bruce who was recently found dead after a rugby league game
The couple came under fire for ‘hypocrisy’ recently, having previously spoken of ‘making a difference’ to the future of the planet and the need for ‘urgent intervention’ on climate change only to then increase their own carbon footprint through the use of four private jets in just 11 days.
Images revealed the luxury within their 12-seater plane including plush seats, spreads of fine cuisine, huge bathrooms and personal television monitors.
The Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign plane, which can hit top speeds of 592mph, also has spacious bathrooms big enough for passengers to change clothes and LED lighting which has a dimmer switch for passenger comfort.
Pictures emerged last weekend of Harry, Meghan and Archie boarding the £15million private jet in Nice after three days at Sir Elton John’s home.
Their arrival in France came just two days after they flew home by private jet from Ibiza after a six-night break celebrating Meghan’s 38th birthday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex came under fire for ‘hypocrisy’ recently, having previously spoken of ‘making a difference’ to the future of the planet and the need for ‘urgent intervention’ on climate change only to then increase their own carbon footprint through the use of four private jets in just 11 days
The Duke of Sussex is pictured stepping on board the aircraft at Nice Airport, in another trip by the royals by private jet
Each flight is estimated to have created a carbon footprint of more than three tons, producing seven times more carbon emissions per person than a commercial flight.
They arrived in France on a 12-seater Cessna aircraft last Wednesday, despite there being more than 20 scheduled commercial flights from London to Nice that day.
Their earlier trip to Ibiza is believed to have produced a footprint of more than four tons.
The carbon footprint – carbon dioxide released as a direct result of an activity – of an average person in the UK is 13 tons a year.
The row then intensified after Piers Morgan criticised them for being ‘eco-warriors’ without practising what they preach, while several celebrities came to their defence.
Royal sources said the Duchess of Sussex is ‘not wasting time’ on the public row over her private jet use.
How Harry and Meghan’s huge seven-ton carbon footprint could cost just £170 to offset
Harry and Meghan’s trip to Nice was estimated to have had a carbon footprint of just over three tons.
The private jet generated an estimated seven times the emissions per person compared to a commercial flight, on which even a business class seat would be more carbon efficient.
This was on top of their Ibiza trip this month which was believed to have had a footprint of more than four tons.
Daren Howarth, the founder of C-Level, another carbon offsetting organisation, told the Telegraph that the figure might be closer to 12 tonnes for the Nice trip alone.
He estimated that each passenger on a private jet emits 0.6 tons of CO2 for each hour flown and therefore the four-hour return flight works out at 2.4 tons of CO2 per passenger.
He calculated, on the basis of five people flying in the jet, a total of 12 tonnes of CO2, which would cost just £168 to offset.
Sir Elton did not vouchsafe how much he contributed to Carbon Footprint.
Sources told Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair that the Duchess is ‘moving on and riding above the storm’ and is instead focused on ‘bigger things’ like the launch of her new charity clothing range for Smart Works.
‘She’s not wasting time or energy on the row over the private jets, instead she’s getting very excited about the new launch,’ the source said.
Another added: ‘As far as she is concerned it’s a storm that will blow over. She is focused on bigger things right now.’
On Tuesday DailyMail.com US Editor-at-Large Piers Morgan took aim at the couple while sat on a British Airways plane to Nice in a cramped seat reading The Cricketer magazine next to a passenger wearing an Arsenal football shirt.
He tweeted: ‘Memo to ”eco-warriors” Meghan and Harry: this is what Economy to Nice looks like. Try it some time. @British_Airways #ManOfThePeople.’
It came after Sir Elton John confirmed he had paid for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to fly to and from Nice for a holiday at his £15million French home.
The 72-year-old singer claimed he had ensured Prince Harry and Meghan’s flight to and from the French Riviera last week were carbon neutral by making the ‘appropriate contribution’ to a carbon footprint fund.
On social media earlier this week he wrote: ‘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.’
He added he wanted to protect Harry, Meghan and Archie from the ‘unnecessary press intrusion’ that he believes contributed to the death of Princess Diana.
Actress Jameela Jamil also came to the defence of the Royal couple, claiming they should not travel on public airlines because they are at risk of ‘kidnap and assassination’.
She also accused their critics of racism and became embroiled in a row with Morgan who labelled her a ‘virtue-signalling twerp’.
Writing on Twitter, Jamil said: ‘Ugh. Dear England and English press, just say you hate her because she’s black, and him for marrying a black woman and be done with it God dammit. Your bullying is so embarrassing and obvious. You’ve all lost your marbles. It’s 2019. Grow up.
‘And ALSO, it’s not safe for us to be on the same planes as royals or presidents you absolute muppets. They are prime targets for kidnap and sometimes assassination. It’s in the interest of us civilians to not be endangered by proximity to people in such powerful positions.’
Members of the Royal Family including Prince William and Kate gather together for for lunch at a lodge near Loch Muick on Balmoral estate. Pictured is the Queen in the driver’s seat of her Range Rover
But Piers was quick to retort, writing: ‘Vile racist bully accuses all 55 million people in England of being vile racist bullies. I suggest YOU grow up, Ms Jamil, you pathetic virtue-signalling twerp.
‘Even by your standards this is hilariously stupid. The royal Sussex eco-warriors flew in BA economy to Nice last year – nobody died, from memory.’
Meghan Markle’s best friend Jessica Mulroney also said the Duchess has been the target of ‘racist bullies’ over the criticism.
Mulroney took to Instagram on Tuesday to say the Duchess of Sussex had been unfairly criticized and suggested that race was a factor.
‘When someone faces unfair criticism, you call it out. When that person is your friend and your family, you call those critics what they truly are. Shame on you, you racist bullies,’ Mulroney wrote.
She added: ‘Three years of undeserved hate and abuse. It’s enough.’
The Duke and Duchess sparked fury again among some of their followers on Instagram by posting a quote on Monday from Archbishop Desmond Tutu on about doing ‘your little bit of good’.
‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world,’ the quote read.
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