General News about the Sussex Family, Part One: May 2019 - March 2020

[Chloep]

From the IG of Elton:

@eltonjohn:

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...

 

[HighGoalHighDreams]

I appreciate Elton's good intentions with this statement.

He should know from his friendship with Diana, however, that responding to individual stories or attacks and criticism in the press-- unless they are major news stories-- has never been a good strategy for members of The Royal Family, particularly when it is friends speaking on their behalf.

 

[Rena M.]

Harry and Megan are in the South of France as the guests of Elton John. This story has been so blown out of proportion that it boggles the mind. I'm sure, just like most people, they should be entitled to a vacation once in awhile?

Some people should apologize...

 

[CTchic]

It was not necessary for Elton John to do that but it must be irritating to see your friends being tarnished.

 

[Hallo girl]

It was not necessary for Elton John to do that but it must be irritating to see your friends being tarnished. There are other stories that could be talked about, why the obsession with the Sussexes? Leave them be!

They are the couple of the moment, others in the family went through being the most popular, built up then brought down. The modern way of social media adds to it of course. Instant comment, bravery and bravado behind a nom de plume.

 

[SLV]

Was that message on twitter? If so, I am going over there directly to like it.
Commenting on gossip never works out as you wish it to. But I deaply appreciate the love and support Elton John shows here. Arranging for that carbon-neutral plane out of respect for their principles. A small detail that many would not think if. That is real friendship.

 

[Chloep]

Was that message on twitter? If so, I am going over there directly to like it.
Commenting on gossip never works out as you wish it to. But I deaply appreciate the love and support Elton John shows here. Arranging for that carbon-neutral plane out of respect for their principles. A small detail that many would not think if. That is real friendship.

If you click on the link in my post of the comment it takes you directly to the picture on IG that you can like.

 

[tommy100]

Nice gesture but sadly I don't think it will help. Some parts of the media will now simply make a fuss that they are accepting free flights of celebrities.

Personally I don't think you can make using a private jet "clean" or "green" but I don't see the fuss if they want to travel that way so be it at least they tried to offset their impact on the environment.

I have absolutely no issue with members of the RF using private jets, the media are now making that the issue and it shouldn't be. The original point made was using private jets for holidays appears at odds with some of the remarks Harry was reported to have made.

 

[Hallo girl]

Nice gesture but sadly I don't think it will help. Some parts of the media will now simply make a fuss that they are accepting free flights of celebrities.

Personally I don't think you can make using a private jet "clean" or "green" but I don't see the fuss if they want to travel that way so be it at least they tried to offset their impact on the environment.

I have absolutely no issue with members of the RF using private jets, the media are now making that the issue and it shouldn't be. The original point made was using private jets for holidays appears at odds with some of the remarks Harry was reported to have made.

That is exactly where this story is going, freebies... we know it goes on within the royal family,but the public do not like it shoved in their faces. More fodder for the press.

Going back generations within the royal family, obviously not private jets, but hospitality of one form or another has always went on. Private house parties, invitations to join a yacht for a cruise, use of a holiday villa.
If people wanted to stay within the royal circle they provided freebies, but also kept quiet. The public are not stupid we all know it goes on, just do not flaunt it, or over use it.

For me personally saying, they didn't pay for it doesn't make it alright, it is not the first time the ' they didn't pay for it' angle has been used.

When you support a cause you need to be seen to really support it, the press coverage this family receive when they promote a cause can just as easily turn on them if they fail or fall down or appear to be hypocrites.

 

[soapstar]

Just a reminder, the media is not the topic. So any off-topic comments will be deleted.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

OMG, this is just getting better and better. Can the hole get any deeper they are digging for themselves?

Elton's statement is totally missing the point: if you lecture other people about carbon footprint don't hop on a private jet if there are alternatives. And it doesn't matter who paid for it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Harry-Meghan-Markle-fly-mansion.html#comments

 

[BaiSoSo]

I appreciate Elton's good intentions with this statement.

He should know from his friendship with Diana, however, that responding to individual stories or attacks and criticism in the press-- unless they are major news stories-- has never been a good strategy for members of The Royal Family, particularly when it is friends speaking on their behalf.

I am ready for criticisms of my post stating how Meghan, Harry, and their friends have a right to defend themselves in 3, 2, 1....

At some point the "don't explain, don't complain" policy isn't really working either. If we (as a society) want to end/reduce bullying then you have to call it out when you see it. "If you aren't part of the solution...then you are part of the problem". If the BRF isn't going to do it, why not the friends of H/M? No doubt some won't take it well.... but at least he is calling it out and not turning a blind eye to it.

Like Elton said they have both worked very hard over the past 1.5 years and don't deserve the abuse they are receiving on a regular basis. Especially Meghan who has done more in her first year as a royal to help the people of the UK & commonwealth than any other royal bride. It is a shame she is used as a (verbal/written) punching bag because she has a lot of positive energy that she can bring to the table.

 

[carlota]

so netjets is a firm that operates a carbon dioxide offset? hard to tell, because in their website they feature NOWHERE that they offset carbon dioxide.

https://www.netjets.com/en-gb/

elton must have gotten it wrong. and H&M should probably have been more careful hopping on that private jet, and the one that took them to ibiza, if they don't want to be defined as hypocritical.

 

[BaiSoSo]

OMG, this is just getting better and better. Can the hole get any deeper they are digging for themselves?

Elton's statement is totally missing the point: if you lecture other people about carbon footprint don't hop on a private jet if there are alternatives. And it doesn't matter who paid for it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Harry-Meghan-Markle-fly-mansion.html#comments

Why can't you take a private plane if you can reduce the carbon footprint drastically? While often there are other alternatives, they aren't always the best option.

 

[Lilyflo]

elton must have gotten it wrong. .

How is Elton wrong?

"To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™"

He's made the contribution. The flight was carbon neutral.

 

[Chloep]

I appreciate Elton's good intentions with this statement.

He should know from his friendship with Diana, however, that responding to individual stories or attacks and criticism in the press-- unless they are major news stories-- has never been a good strategy for members of The Royal Family, particularly when it is friends speaking on their behalf.

I do happen to disagree. At least this way Elton can have a peace of mind and share actual facts instead of the needlessly and antagonising spin that is put on everything to do with the Sussexes.

If nothing else, some people at least learn of NetJets and mayhaps will consider the service in the future should they ever want to charter a private plane.

 

[Lilyflo]

OMG, this is just getting better and better. Can the hole get any deeper they are digging for themselves?

Elton's statement is totally missing the point: if you lecture other people about carbon footprint don't hop on a private jet if there are alternatives. And it doesn't matter who paid for it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Harry-Meghan-Markle-fly-mansion.html#comments

Elton isn't missing the point at all because he says the flight was carbon neutral.

 

[Hallo girl]

How is Elton wrong?

"To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™"

He's made the contribution. The flight was carbon neutral.

Does that mean he made a monetary contribution to an environment charity or what, i am not sure ?

 

[ACO]

I have no issue with that Elton wrote. The press was posting all sorts of things and he was annoyed and corrected them. He ended by saying he wishes the constantly attacks on them would stop. That seems to be the base of the entire post. They were visiting him so he felt the need to speak.

Will it cause some push back in the press? Of course. The same happened when George did it as well. Also remember Nacho went on CBS This Morning and lit into them attacking Harry by suggesting he was a bad father for working.

It is all ridiculous and it has to be hard for their close friends to see all this over the top nastiness thrown at them knowing they can't fight back. And sadly I know it won't change anything. So the cycle will continue.

 

[Dalriada]

I dont think all this celebrity intervention helps anyone except the celebrity’s own highly prize link to royalty. We have seen it all before with George Clooney & friends and now Elton, & btw private jets don’t make it more eco-friendly especially lately Sicily-Ibiza-Nice.

Meghan Markle private jet row: Elton John hits out and says he 'must protect' Diana's son http://shr.gs/W1ZGMMd

 

[carlota]

How is Elton wrong?

"To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™"

He's made the contribution. The flight was carbon neutral.

thanks for the clarification, although the media did report that the company was carbon neutral. it is indeed the same company they chose to go to ibiza, so i wonder who offsetted those emissions then if the company wasn't carbon neutral to begin with.

in any case, the message is still quite obnoxious: 'we have money, and hence we can take as many private jets as we want for our private holidays because we can pay for carbon offset. for the rest of you, we are eco warriors and advocate that you take more environmentally friendly transport options, because clearly you are not as well connected as we are to have friends who pay to offset the costs of our kind of privileged travel'.

 

[tommy100]

IMO the issue is the claim of hypocrisy. We all know the royals tend to use private jets and we know full well they've been provided by friends before (W&K used the Duke of Westminster's private jet to take George to Balmoral for the first time).

I have no issue with them using a private jet, its just unfortunate timing coming so close to apparent remarks about protecting the environment.

Elton John's intervention will not help IMO.

Do we know when the Sussex's are suppose to be visiting Balmoral? I know we don't now dates in advance but there's usually a pattern to who visits Balmoral at certain times.

 

[Chloep]

I know one thing - I better see this EXACT level of environmental consciousness when ANY other royal continues to do this. As they all do this regularly - Andy just off to Spain. The Cambridges just back from Mystique. The Queen to Balmoral and back. Or the man who made environmentalism his most focal cause over the years yet is regularly listed as the most frequent flyer of them all, PW(I assume probably off to Mey next.)

 

[irish_royalist]

If they need to take a private jet, they need to take a private jet, fair enough - I think most people accept that.
But then they and their advisors need to think more carefully about which causes they support, and what advice and pleas they give to those who listen to their speeches - otherwise it becomes a bit of a 'do as I say, not as I do!' scenario, which annoys people and leads to critical headlines in the press.

 

[Lilyflo]

Does that mean he made a monetary contribution to an environment charity or what, i am not sure ?

It means the flight had its carbon footprint calculated & Elton paid to offset it & make it carbon neutral. For example:
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonoffset.html

 

[Elenath]

People can find hypocrisy in just about every cause royals (and other wealthy people) support if they try hard enough. Poverty for instance... Wealthy people have no business talking about poverty. Endangered wild life and hunting, oh the hypocrisy. Feminism, Meghan left everything behind to marry a rich dude. And yes I’ve seen people complain about all of these.
Perhaps they should just stop supporting causes to begin with.

 

[Hallo girl]

It means the flight had its carbon footprint calculated & Elton paid to offset it & make it carbon neutral. For example:
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonoffset.html

So he paid for the flight then made financial contribution to carbon footprint charity.

 

[Rena M.]

Does that mean he made a monetary contribution to an environment charity or what, i am not sure ?

Some info from Wikipedia

In the much smaller, voluntary market, individuals, companies, or governments purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. For example, an individual might purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by personal air travel.
(...)
Offsets typically support projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short- or long-term. A common project type is renewable energy,[6] such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. Others include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, and forestry projects.[7] Some of the most popular carbon offset projects from a corporate perspective are energy efficiency and wind turbine projects.[8]
The Kyoto Protocol has sanctioned offsets as a way for governments and private companies to earn carbon credits that can be traded on a marketplace. The protocol established the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which validates and measures projects to ensure they produce authentic benefits and are genuinely "additional" activities that would not otherwise have been undertaken.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset

 

[BaiSoSo]

thanks for the clarification, although the media did report that the company was carbon neutral. it is indeed the same company they chose to go to ibiza, so i wonder who offsetted those emissions then if the company wasn't carbon neutral to begin with.

in any case, the message is still quite obnoxious: 'we have money, and hence we can take as many private jets as we want for our private holidays because we can pay for carbon offset. for the rest of you, we are eco warriors and advocate that you take more environmentally friendly transport options, because clearly you are not as well connected as we are to have friends who pay to offset the costs of our kind of privileged travel'.

They are royals, by definition they are privileged (tiaras, gowns, etc..), I don't get why H/M traveling by eco-friendly planes would be considered something extra, especially when the majority of the BRF lives in Palaces/Castles and have numerous homes. By royal standards, Harry and Meghan live more moderately with a 5 bedroom home and only one of them.

 

[sophie25]

Why the heck are they sitting back and allowing someone else to pay for their holiday in the first place? Show some self respect, please.