Elton John has come out in defence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's holidays via private jet, saying the latest jaunt to France was paid for by him. Photo / 123RF
Elton John has come out in defence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's holidays via private jet, saying the latest jaunt to France was paid for by him. Photo / 123RF
Sir Elton John has lashed out over the treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and compared it to the "intrusion" which led to Princess Diana's "untimely death".
In a series of Twitter posts overnight, Sir Elton revealed he paid for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to travel by private jet to visit his $26 million swanky home in Nice.
The Rocket Man singer, 72, said he provided the luxury 12-seater Cessna plane, that would have cost more than $36,000 to hire, due to the "high level of much-needed protection".
Sir Elton launched the passionate defence of the couple online and begged for "fair coverage" after photos emerged of them boarding a private jet with son Archie.
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. pic.twitter.com/WjVRDSMX0z
He said: "After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquillity of our home.
"To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight.
"To support Prince Harry's commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint."
The young family recently spent six days in Ibiza to celebrate Meghan's birthday before taking a holiday at Sir Elton John's home in France. Photo / File
After jetting into Nice Airport on Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and three-month-old baby Archie were whisked off in a Mercedes limo, with police protection, to Sir Elton's stunning French Riviera villa, Castel Mont-Alban.
With views across the bay and to the Alps, the singer's summer pad has been used by celebs including David and Victoria Beckham in the past.
The hilltop villa has an impressive swimming pool and is surrounded by woodland.
So the 'over-worked' millionaire 'eco-warrior' Sussexes cadged a freebie private jet off their pop star mate, who then paid cash to offset their damage to the environment? I like Elton, but jeez, talk about digging a bigger crater. https://t.co/0WOkU0IZsM
Andy Warhol originals adorn the walls while the villa is so huge it can be seen from across the entire bay.
Originally built in the 1920s as an artists' colony, Sir Elton redesigned the mansion with a team of interior designers.
The Duke and Duchess flew back to Farnborough Airfield, Hampshire, on Saturday.
They left just as Sir Elton, previously dubbed "the king of the hill" in Nice, husband David Furnish and their family jetted over to the luxury villa.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Labour MP Teresa Pearce called on Harry and Meghan to "lead by example" on environmental issues.
Pearce said: "Given the position they have taken publicly about being responsible on climate change, this does seem an anomaly which they should look at.
"It's up to all of us to cut our carbon emissions, and the number of flights we take a year.
"That is really important — and someone as high profile as that should lead by example.
"I find this quite surprising because it doesn't fit with their public image and the way they're so concerned about the planet and the environment."
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during their visit to Rotorua in October last year. The couple have been outspoken about environmental issues in recent months. Photo / File
It was the fourth time in just over a week Harry has used a private jet.
On August 6, the couple flew to Ibiza to celebrate Meghan's 38th birthday in style with a six-day trip in the billionaire's playground.
While it's not known who paid for this $72,000 round-trip, the couple are thought to have rented their plane from NetJets, dubbed the 'Uber for billionaires'.
The plane would have emitted six times more carbon dioxide than a regular commercial flight.
The Ibiza holiday came a week after Harry attended a super secret Camp Google event in Sicily.
While there, the barefoot Prince gave an impassioned speech about climate change to celebrities believed to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney and Harry Styles.
According to reports, the group of celebrities flocked to the island on 114 private planes, with several staying on luxury super yachts for the three-day event.
Local media reported the A-listers "invaded" the island, clogging local roads with Masteratis, Ferraris, Porches and gas-guzzling SUVs.
