The Duke of Sussex faces the prospect of accusations of hypocrisy for taking a private helicopter trip just two days before his Wembley Arena speech to youngsters about climate change.
Harry took the helicopter just 125 miles from London to Birmingham for two official engagements on Monday.
But two days later he and Meghan were on stage in the capital telling 12,000 young fans to ‘wake up’ and act ‘on the damaging impact our ways of living are having on the world’.
He talked about how ‘our world’s greatest assets are threatened every day’ adding: ‘Every blade of grass, every ray of sun is crucial to our survival.’
Last month the Duchess flew to a New York baby shower by private jet to the fury of environmentalists.
Harry and Meghan praised young people for their attitudes to climate change on Wednesday
A spokesman for Friends of the Earth told MailOnline: ‘Private air travel obviously comes with a huge carbon footprint.
‘Perhaps for future trips the Duchess could consider less carbon intensive modes of travel. We invite her to set a good climate trend by flying less’.
Prince Harry had a number of alternatives for his trip, including a seat on the train from Euston to Birmingham New Street.
A first class ticket, booked in advance, costs just £34 and the train runs every 10 to 20 minutes, taking around 80 minutes to complete the journey.
The Duke of Sussex arrived by helicopter at Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, to officially open a memorial dedicated to victims of the 2015 terror attacks in Tunisia
Harry brought his wife out onto the stage at the SSE Arena in Wembley yesterday, shortly before the pair went their separate ways
But a helicopter charter between England’s first and second cities costs £6,000 to £6,500 and takes around three quarters of an hour.
Research by Eurostar has found train travel saves between 70 and 90 percent of the carbon emissions of air travel over similar distances to the Duke’s journey.
During his three-hour visit to the Midlands, Harry visited a hospital and opened a memorial to the victims of the 2015 Tunisia terror attacks.
Then two days later at the Wembley event to mark WE Day — which celebrates young people making a difference in the world – he said: ‘Climate change is a humanitarian issue and one where we’ve been far too slow in waking up to the issues and acting on the damaging impact our ways of living are having on the world.
On Monday Harry had two official engagements in Birmingham – including this memorial to the victims of the 2015 Tunisia terrorism – and flew by helicopter from London
Donning a smart blue suit, the Duke of Sussex offered out his hand and returned several handshakes as people lined the streets in Birmingham ahead of his visit to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham
‘We now have the facts, the science, the technology and the ability to save not just our planet, but ourselves.’
He told the youngsters: ‘I know you don’t sit back and wait for solutions, you take action and create them.
‘Our world’s greatest assets are threatened every day . . . every forest, every river, every ocean, every coastline, every insect, every wild animal. Every blade of grass, every ray of sun is crucial to our survival.’
Speaking in October on a visit to Fiji in the South Pacific, he told students: ‘One of the greatest challenges is undoubtedly climate change, and all of you living here are confronted with this threat in your daily lives.
‘You’re actually experiencing changing weather patterns, ferocious cyclones and rising sea levels.
‘You’ve been living with this for many years, way before the world actually started talking about it.’
Thoughts of the duke …and words of a King: Harry’s speech at Wembley on Wednesday:
Prince Harry let rip when he took to the stage at the WE Day event yesterday
On youth: ‘You are the most engaged generation in history. You don’t judge someone on how they look, where they’re from, or how they identify. In this room, you see the world for what it is – vibrant, colourful, mixed and full of promise.
‘That is what makes me feel proud to stand in your presence as you tackle the world’s greatest issues. And you guys know as well as I do, we’ve still got so much to do.’
The environment: ‘Climate change is a humanitarian issue not a political one… We now have the facts, the science, the technology and the ability to save not just our planet, but ourselves.
‘I know you don’t sit back and wait for solutions, you take action and create them.’
Social media: ‘Every day you are inundated with an overexposure of advertising and mainstream media, social media and endless comparisons, distorting the truth, and trying to manipulate the power of positive thinking. But you don’t let them sway you.
‘You confidently voice your opinions because you can embrace them proudly.’
Quoting Martin Luther King: ‘As my wife often reminds me with one of her favourite quotes by Martin Luther King Jr: ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
The older generation: ‘You may find yourselves frustrated with the older generation when it seems like they don’t care. Try to remember that not everyone sees the world the way you do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care.
‘You have the incredible opportunity to help reshape mindsets, to empower those around you to think outside the box, and to work with you, not against you, to find solutions.
‘You know that if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. So let that be your true north, let that be your call to action – to inspire those who stand for nothing, to stand for something – and to stand with you.’
His to do list: ‘Be braver. Be stronger. Be kind to each other. Be kind to yourselves. Have less screen time, and more face to face time. Exceed expectations. Eliminate plastics. Conserve water. Protect wildlife and their unique habitat. Keep empathy alive. Ask your friends how they are doing and listen to the answer. Be honest. Take risks. Change your thoughts and change the world. Dare to be the greatest generation of all time.’
William and Kate routinely use helicopters for public duties. They took one to Blackpool on Wednesday.
Kensington Palace told The Sun: ‘Travel decisions are based on a number of factors, including effective use of time, security and minimising the impact on others, while ensuring the full schedule can be delivered.’
Harry was at the event at Wembley speaking in his capacity as President of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
He told them: ‘You are the most engaged generation in history. You care about values, doing the right thing, and championing the causes that will shape your future,” he said.
‘You don’t judge someone based on how they look, where they’re from, or how they identify.
‘In this room, you see the world for what it is – vibrant, colourful, mixed and full of promise.
‘That is who you are, and that is what makes me feel proud to stand in your presence as you tackle the world’s greatest issues. And you guys know as well as I do, we’ve still got so much to do.’