To avoid looking like hypocrites after their successful EarthShot debut and rousing appearance at the COP26 climate summit, Kate Middleton and Prince William should shun their previous jet-setting lifestyle and fully embrace the green choices they’ve promoted, a royal expert has said. Prince Charles, William’s father, was also warned about his use of private jets and other non-sustainable travel to make sure his climate change remarks are free from hypocrisy.
Princes Charles, William Go Green But Royal Expert Gives Warning
Royal expert Camilla Tominey had a lot to say about the royal family’s recent headstrong foray into environmentalism while writing for the Telegraph’s weekly royal newsletter, Your Royal Appointment. Prince William’s recent inaugural EarthShot Prize lifted the young royal’s status as a climate change activist.
After Queen Elizabeth was advised to rest following a night spent at the hospital, William and his wife Kate Middleton were tapped to attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland in her stead alongside Prince Charles. William and Charles both gave speeches that were met with positivity and admiration. In order to keep this positive momentum going, Tominey advised the royals to maintain their environmentally conscious mentality moving forward to avoid looking like hypocrites.
Recent Speeches Should Mark Big Changes, Expert Insists
She wrote, “While both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge delivered hard-hitting speeches that were well received, they must also now put their words into action by completely dispensing with this hypocritical form of travel from here on in.” The royal family famously travels frequently on private jets, which isn’t the most environmentally-friendly mode of transportation.
“To be fair,” Tominey continued, “William and Kate should be commended for taking the train to Scotland on this occasion, while Charles apparently flew from Rome to Glasgow on an RAF flight running on sustainable aviation fuel.” Credit where credit is due, but in order to keep up their reputations, this behavior has to be more than a one-time thing.
This has to become a sustained part of their travel plans from this point forward. Tominey explained, “If they are to remain credible voices on this totemic issue, they must continue to travel sustainably rather than going back to their previous jet-set lifestyle.” Though this royal expert believes William and Charles need to focus on their follow-through, the matriarch of the family, Queen Elizabeth, has nothing but praise for them both.
Queen Elizabeth ‘Proud’ Of Recent Environmentalism
In a recorded video message, the queen remarked, “It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William.” The 95-year-old monarch added, “I could not be more proud of them.”
It will be interesting to see if the royal family really follows through with an actual plan for sustainable travel or whether they’ll continue business as usual. Only time will tell.