The Daily Telegraph - 20.08.2019

News

Sir Elton defends Duke over jet ‘hypocrisy’

By Robert Mendick Chief Reporter

SIR ELTON JOHN by his own admis-
sion counted Diana, Princess of Wales
as “one of my dearest friends” and
movingly sang at her funeral.
Yesterday, the rock star leapt to the
defence of her younger son in an at-
tempt to shield the Duke of Sussex and
his wife from “relentless and untrue
assassinations” amid allegations of hy-
pocrisy over their private jet flights.
In putting a metaphorical arm
around the Duke and Duchess, Sir
Elton disclosed that he had paid for
the couple to fly on a private jet to
his home in the south of France.
He said they and their son Archie
needed the “safety and tranquil-
lity” offered by his palatial villa

Sir Elton John

said he and his

husband David

Furnish had

made an

“appropriate

contribution” to

a company that

specialises in

offsetting carbon

emissions.

He declined to

say how much he

had paid Carbon

Footprint Ltd

but experts said

it could be as

little as £170.

The firm lets

individuals and

companies

compensate for

carbon

emissions by

funding

“equivalent

carbon dioxide

saving

elsewhere”, by

funding projects

including

improving

cooking stoves

in Kenya and

Uganda and

tree-planting in

the UK and

Africa.

Daren

Howarth, the

founder of

C-Level, another

carbon offsetting

organisation,

estimated each

passenger on a

private jet emits

0.6 tons of CO

for each hour

flown.

The four-hour

return flight

works out at 2.

tons of CO2 per

passenger and,

assuming five

passengers in

the party, that

totals 12 tons of

CO2, and an

offset cost of

£168, he said.

How it all

adds up

£170 cost of

jet footprint

OTTO; DANIEL VENTURELLI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Elton John

@eltonofficial

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

the press surrounding the Duke and

Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at

my home in Nice last week.

“Prince Harry’s mother, Diana

Princess of Wales was one of my

dearest friends. I feel a profound

sense of obligation to protect Harry

and his family from the unneces-

sary press intrusion that contrib-

uted to Diana’s untimely death.”

The singer went on: “After a hec-

tic 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 tranquil-

lity of our home. To maintain

a high level of much-needed

protection, we provided

on the French Riviera.
Sir Elton, 72, insisted he and his hus-
band David Furnish had made “an ap-
propriate contribution” to a company
that specialises in offsetting carbon
emissions. The flights, said Sir Elton,
were as a consequence carbon neutral.
The Duke and Duchess were photo-
graphed with their three-month-old
son arriving in Nice on a £15 million
Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign jet on
Wednesday. They left France three
days later on Saturday afternoon.
It was, according to reports, their
fourth private jet flight in 11 days – they
had previously flown to and from Ibiza
to celebrate the Duchess’s 38th birth-
day – prompting cries of hypocrisy.
The couple have campaigned on green
issues and earlier this month the Duke
said they would have “two children,
maximum” as part of their contribu-
tion to saving the environment.
In a series of emotional Twitter
posts, Sir Elton said yesterday: “I am
deeply distressed by today’s dis-
torted and malicious account in

Rock star lashes out at

‘malicious’ reports of royal

couple’s holiday at his

mansion on French Riviera

them with a private jet flight.”

Sir Elton then praised the Duke and

Duchess for their charitable work, con-

cluding in his fifth and final tweet: “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 assassina-

tions on their character that are spuri-

ously crafted on an almost daily basis.”

Buckingham Palace declined to

comment on Sir Elton’s Twitter posts.

Carbon Footprint Limited was una-

vailable for comment yesterday.

Another organisation C-Level,

which also offsets carbon emissions,

calculated a carbon footprint for the

return flight at 12 tonnes, costing about

£168 to offset according to the firm.

ckChief Reporter

N by his own admis-

na, Princess of Wales

dearest friends” and

her funeral.

rock star leapt to the

ounger son in an at-

he Duke of Sussex and

elentless and untrue

mid allegations of hy-

r private jet flights.

metaphorical arm

e and Duchess, Sir

hat he had paid for

on a private jet to

south of France.

their son Archie

ty and tranquil-

his palatial villa

hn

fficial

distressed by

rtedand

count in the

nding the Duke

of Sussex’s

at my home in

k

the press surroundin

Duchess of Sussex’s

my home in Nice las

“Prince Harry’s

Princess of Wales

dearest friends. I

sense of obligation

and his family fro

sary press intrusio

uted to Diana’s unt

The singer went

tic year continu

work and dedica

David and I wan

family to have a

inside the safe

lity of our ho

a high levelo

protection,

viera.

sisted he and his hus-

ish had made “an ap-

ution” to a company

in offsetting carbon

ights, said Sir Elton,

uence carbon neutral.

Duchess were photo-

heir three-month-old

Nice on a £15 million

tion Sovereign jet on

y left France three

rday afternoon.

ing to reports, their

flight in 11 days – they

own to and from Ibiza

Duchess’s 38th birth-

g cries of hypocrisy.

campaigned on green

this month the Duke

have “two children,

art of their contribu-

environment.

f emotional Twitter

id yesterday: “I am

d by today’s dis-

cious account in

shes out at

eports of royal

iday at his

French Riviera

Sir Elton John said

he had paid for a

private jet to take

the Duke and

Duchess of Sussex

and their son Archie

to his mansion on

the French Riviera

The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 20 August 2019 *** 3

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