Ellen DeGeneres Isn’t Here for the Criticism of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Over Their Private Jet Use

Julie Sprankles

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Not everyone believes the bad press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex these days. To the contrary, Ellen DeGeneres is defending Meghan Markle and Prince Harry amid the most recent round of criticism. The royal couple came under fire recently after news broke that they’d taken a family vacation with baby Archie to France — and flown in a private jet to get there. But DeGeneres isn’t here for the negativity, pointing out that Harry and Meghan are being unfairly maligned.

Trouble for the royal twosome started brewing over the weekend, when The Sun reported that Harry and Meghan had taken a 12-seat private Cessna to a Mediterranean villa in Nice. Detractors called the decision hypocritical, insisting that flying a private jet contradicted the couple’s outspoken stance on the importance of being eco-conscious. The argument being made by many critics was that aviation is one of the world’s biggest polluters, creating a larger environmental footprint than flying commercially.

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In response, DeGeneres took to Twitter on Monday to offer a bit of added perspective. “Portia and I met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation. They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people,” DeGeneres wrote. “Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you’re trying to do is make the world better.”

And DeGeneres isn’t the only celebrity to leap to Harry and Meghan’s defense. On Sunday, Elton John issued a series of tweets expressing his distress over the “distorted and malicious account in the press” surrounding the Sussex family trip. Per John, he invited the couple to stay at his villa in Nice, and even flew them out (on his dime) through a private jet company that requires mandatory carbon offsetting.

Pink also posted a supportive message on Twitter, calling the treatment of Harry and Meghan online “the most public form of bullying” she has seen recently and encouraging people to be “a bit kinder” to the royal couple.

These supportive celebs make a few salient points, right? While Harry and Meghan do occasionally fly via private jet, it’s entirely possible (and likely even) that they participate in carbon offsetting when they do. And it goes without saying that they are also using their global platform to raise awareness about important environmental issues like climate change, conservation and sustainability. The vitriol being lobbed at them feels extreme and unnecessary. As Pink put it, it’s cooler to be kind.

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