After the polemics they suffered because of their multiple trips on private jets, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry inherited an unglamorous title. Archie’s parents finish last in a study on the ecological footprint of members of the royal family.
It’s a title the Sussex family would have done without. Settled in the United States, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are eager to put the polemics of the past year behind them. In recent months, they have been more committed than ever to the environment, particularly by preferring to travel on commercial flights.
But their lifestyle in the United States continues to make their most ardent supporters grind their teeth. Accused of hypocrisy for having multiplied private jet trips – among others to join Elton John in the south of France – but also for their hobbies as polluters while they constantly define themselves as defenders of ecology, Archie’s parents have inherited an unflattering title.
They came in last place in a study commissioned by Save On Energy, a company that compares gas and electricity suppliers in the UK. To determine which member of the royal family has the least impact on the environment, it analyzed several points between March 2019 and March 2020.
Firstly, the travel footprint of members of the Royal Family, but also their support for environmental charities, their participation in environmental commitments, their publications on social networks on this subject, the use of electric vehicles and the durability of their wardrobes.
After developing a scoring system – they awarded three points for “good driving” and removed three points for every ton of CO2 emitted – Save On Energy crowned Prince Charles as The Firm’s most environmentally friendly member.
In all, the future monarch was credited with 156 points. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, on the other hand, received only nine points each. Prince Charles came in first, far ahead of Camilla Parker-Bowles (84 points), Prince Philip (44 points), Kate Middleton (29 points), Elizabeth II (23 points), Prince William (15 points), Prince Edward (11 points) and Princess Anne (10 points).
Prince Harry had defended himself
It should be noted that the controversial Sussex trips were not included in this study as it focused only on the flights listed in the Royal Travel Report. And while Sussex came in last, Meghan Markle was nevertheless applauded for “her eco-friendly wardrobe” which highlights environmentally friendly brands.
The image of Archie’s parents is unlikely to improve, even though Prince Harry recently launched an initiative to make the travel industry more sustainable. Last September, after controversy over four private jet flights in the space of eleven days, the Duke of Sussex made his mea culpa.
He explained that he “spends 99% of [his] life flying commercially around the world” and offsets “carbon emissions” when he travels by private jet: “Although no one is perfect, we are all responsible for our individual impact”.
Photo credits: ABC / BACKGRID UK via Bestimage