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 John recalled his friendship with Harry's mother, the late
Princess Diana, in a series of tweets on Monday in which he
appealed to the press to stop the almost daily "relentless and
untrue assassinations on their character."
The "Rocketman" singer was responding to criticism in Britain
over two recent vacations taken by the Duke and Duchess of
Sussex and their three-month-old baby Archie to Spain, and to
the south of France, where the couple stayed at John's villa in
Nice.
Britain's Sun newspaper at the weekend blasted the royal couple
- Queen Elizabeth's grandson and his American wife, a former
actress - as hypocritical "eco warriors" for flying on private
jets despite voicing concerns over the environment and
conservation.
"Dumbo Jet," read the headline of the Sun on Sunday's front-page
splash on Harry and Meghan's travels, with a picture caption
cracking a joke about "heir miles".
John said he was "deeply distressed by (the) distorted and
malicious account in the press" around their Nice visit last
week.
He added he provided Harry and Meghan with a private jet to his
home for security reasons but said a contribution was made to
Carbon Footprint Ltd, which offsets carbon emissions by funding
environmentally friendly projects.
But some environmental campaigners said such trips should be cut
out altogether.
"An airliner is over ten times as polluting as a modern train,
and private jets are ten times more polluting still," Greenpeace
UK's Paul Morozzo said.
"It’s vitally important that all frequent fliers reduce the
number of flights they take if we are to confront the climate
emergency."
In separate remarks, U.S. talk show host DeGeneres said on
Twitter she had met and talked with Harry and Meghan in England
about their work on wildlife conservation.
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"They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people. Imagine
being attacked for everything you do, when all you're trying to do
is make the world better," she wrote.
Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018 was marked by an outpouring
of affection in Britain but less than a year later the couple have
found themselves on the receiving end of a barrage of negative
stories in the media. They have ranged from the $3 million cost of
renovating their new home to reports dubbing Meghan "Duchess
Difficult."
While much reporting by the British press on the royal family is
respectful, verging on the sycophantic, at other times it can be
harshly critical, even cruel.
The couple have not publicly responded to the various attacks on
them, but took to Instagram to post a message of positivity.
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of
good put together that overwhelm the world," the post said, quoting
anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu.
But that too was swiftly criticized.
"Your little bit of good might be flying on commercial rather than
always private," user Dale Strickland commented. "Remember that
footprint you both talk about."
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles and Alistair Smout in
London, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien/Guy Faulconbridge/Alexandra
Hudson)
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