Meghan Markle Slammed For Private Jet Use, But Celebs Jump In To Defend Her

Meghan Markle is quite the glamorous jetsetter! Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex flew four times in 11 days, UK’s Daily Mail reported. All four of those were private flights.

Meghan, who turned 38 years old last Aug. 4, flew aboard a private jet with Prince Harry and baby Archie to Ibiza two days after her birthday for a six-day vacation. The royals took another private jet to fly home on Aug. 12, only to leave again a few days later for another vacation. This time, they travelled to Nice, France, upon an invitation from Elton John to stay at the singer’s posh vacation home. Their choice of transportation back to England was, again, a private aircraft.

Backlash From Environmentalists

Due to carbon dioxide emissions, the aviation industry is getting a bad rep among conservationists. And what’s worse than flying? Flying via private planes. As The Independent noted, the amount of CO2 produced per passenger in a private flight is eight times higher than in a commercial plane.

Ironically, both Meghan and Prince Harry are vocal supporters of conservation and have, on several occasions, spoken about how they’re taking conscious steps towards caring for the environment. The royal couple even mentioned that they will only have two children at most to limit their carbon footprint.

As such, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently under fire for their mode of transportation. After all, four private flights in 11 days seem a bit too much for someone who’s supposedly concerned about their carbon footprint.

Meghan Markle’s Photo Cover With Kate Middleton Before She Became A Royal

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Pink, Ellen DeGeneres, and Elton John Defend the Royal Couple

Despite the backlash, many celebrities have been quick to defend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. In a series of lengthy tweets, Elton John explained that he provided the plane for the royal couple to “protect Harry and his family from press intrusion.” The singer, who is a close family friend and even sang at Meghan and Harry’s wedding reception, further stated that the private flight going to and from his French guest house was made “carbon neutral.”

“To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™,” he wrote. “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.”

Ellen DeGeneres, who is an avid wildlife supporter, also sided with the Sussexes. The comedian revealed in a tweet that she and her wife Portia de Rossi have met with the royal couple to talk about their work on wildlife conservation. She described Meghan and Prince Harry as “the most down-to-earth, compassionate people.”

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Criticized For Their Latest Trip https://t.co/SHGWwV5cti pic.twitter.com/iQzaULsN4Q

— SOS/CTS/HH (@SoapOperaSpy) August 18, 2019

Pop star Pink also chimed in on the hot discussion and described the backlash against Meghan Markle as “bullying.” She asked the public to be kinder towards the actress-turned-princess.

“The way people treat [Meghan] is the most public form of bullying I have seen in a while,” Pink tweeted. “It’s out of control. Let’s all be a bit kinder, huh? Let’s show our children that it’s cool to be kind.”

Kensington Palace has reportedly been asked to comment on the issue but has not yet responded.

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