Prince Harry used private jets for 6 out of 10 flights since marrying Meghan Markle despite his claim he flies commercial 99% of the time
PRINCE Harry has used private jets for six out of ten flights since marrying Meghan - despite claiming to travel commercial "99 per cent" of the time yesterday.
He is facing fresh claims of hypocrisy after new analysis found the Duke of Sussex has regularly favoured private planes.
He and wife Meghan, 38, used a charter flight six times this summer while launching a bid urge the public to watch their carbon footprint.
They jetted to Nice and Ibiza over two weeks in August, creating seven times the normal amount of carbon emissions on the flights.
And as the new dad yesterday launched his new eco-tourism project in Amsterdam, he argued he always ensured his travel was carbon neutral.
The 34-year-old told the crowd he travelled "99 per cent of the time" on commercial flight.
But added: "Occasionally, there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe, it's genuinely as simple as that.
"As I said in my speech - it is about balance. If I have to do that - and it's not a decision I would want to take - I would ensure, as I have done previously and I will continue to make sure I do, is balance. I have always offset my CO2."
But analysis of the pair's known flights since they got married last May found six of the ten round journeys were on private jets.
He admitted: "We could all do better. While no one is perfect, we all have a responsibility for our own individual impact.
"The question is what we do to balance it out."
Prince Harry, who had flown to Amsterdam on a commercial flight yesterday, encouraged people to be more conscious about their travel as he launched his initiative Travalyst, which he has been working on for three years.
Harry admitted "I am not a tourism or business expert", but added: "Sometimes the scale of the conservation crisis feels overwhelming and that individual actions can't make a difference.
"I've certainly felt that - but I've learned that we cannot dismiss the idea of trying to do something, just because we can't do everything."
A royal source previously admitted it "has not been lost on him" that the criticism he has faced over his own travel could overshadow the campaign - the first for the new Sussex Foundation.
Yesterday Piers Morgan blasted the prince preaching about eco-tourism - despite jetsetting on private planes over the summer.
They added some unknown private travel would have been taken commercially.
Harry and wife Meghan Markle, 38, had been snapped in the South of France last month after enjoying a break at Sir Elton John's palatial £15million pad.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew on a 12-seater Cessna plane, which would have cost more than £20,000 to hire, that generates seven times the emissions per person when compared to a commercial flight.
And earlier in August, the couple flew to Ibiza to celebrate Meghan's 38th birthday in style with a six-day trip.
Prince Harry also headed to a super secret Google Camp event in Sicily on July 30, giving an impassioned barefoot speech about climate change to celebs believed to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney and Harry Styles.
FLIGHTS DEFENDED
The new dad was previously defended by high profile celebs including Elton John - who revealed he had paid for the couple's trip to France and made the flight carbon neutral.
Prince Harry said yesterday: "I've always offset my CO2, I think part of the group discussion we had earlier was, 'What is offsetting CO2?' There are so many people out there that hear about it, don't know about it. In my mind it's the right thing to do and we need to make it cool, but it can't just be a ticking-the-box exercise.
"Somehow we have to connect people to where that little bit of extra money is actually going and, the moment you have that connection, you feel you have a bigger purpose in life, and you can actually see the difference you're making, and I think that's acceptable."
It comes after Meghan Markle hired a crisis management firm that once represented Harvey Weinstein in a bid to improve her image.
She has hired Sunshine Sachs — a firm whose clients included the late pop star Michael Jackson, who has been accused of paedophilia.
In a massive break with royal tradition, the Duchess went behind the backs of Buckingham Palace advisers to hire the company, known for using the so-called “dark arts” of public relations to improve the celebs’ reputations.
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