Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Continue to Fly Private Now That They’re Financially Independent?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a major decision earlier this year to leave the royal family. Now that they’ve started adjusting to daily life in their current home of Vancouver Island, Canada, the two are starting to lead a very different lifestyle than once before.
The duke and duchess came under fire last year for using private jets on many occasions, despite their dedicated environmental work. But now that the duke and duchess don’t have a royal family income, will they continue to fly private?
The royal family tends to use private planes and helicopters for security purposes
The royals are members of one of the world’s most important families. With that said, when they take trips to different parts of the world, it isn’t always feasible for them to fly on commercial aircraft the way most people do. Safety and security are of the utmost importance, and commercial flights naturally pose a bit more of a security risk, since the royals wouldn’t know everyone they’re flying with. For that reason, the royals do tend to take private aircraft, despite that they care greatly about the environment.
Harry and Meghan split their transportation between private and commercial
Harry and Meghan travel often nowadays, and they did even more so when they were working royals. And there were certainly times when the two flew private aircraft. Last summer, the two came under fire for flying four private jets in a span of a little more than a week. Since the two seem to care deeply about the environment, some critics accused them of being hypocrites.
When Harry and Meghan left for their tour of Southern Africa back in 2019, they decided to fly commercial after the public wasn’t receptive to the number of private jets they had used. However, when royals fly commercial, it’s not as though they walk through security and wait at the gate like most people do. They tend to get on and off the plane without almost anyone even noticing they’re there.
The two might fly commercial more often based on their new income
Harry and Meghan gave up a lot when they left the family. While giving up the royal life meant a much more peaceful outlook (hopefully), the royals also gave up their royal income. And doing so means they’re no longer receiving the millions of dollars they had been receiving from the British government.
Meghan and Harry’s lower income (though they definitely still have plenty of money), combined with their general care for the environment, might mean they’ll travel on fewer private aircraft than they did as royal family members. The Sun reported that Meghan took a budget flight worth $175 back to Canada after meeting with the royals upon returning from her hiatus. The flight might have been a combination of saving money and helping the environment.
The royals will continue to make safety a priority
Though Harry and Meghan might do their best to fly commercial when they can, their safety is still a priority. And the two likely would spare no expense to fly private if it meant ample security and very little risk.
The two seem genuine about their love for the environment, so they would likely be open to flying commercial if it made sense for their family. However, we can’t say we fault them for flying private when necessary.
