If you come after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, you're going to have to answer to Elton John.
Over the weekend, the environmentally conscious royals came under fire for taking a private jet to the pop star's Nice home for a getaway with their son Archie Harrison. The duo were accused of spending public money on their vacation and adding to the carbon footprint by not flying commercial.
The Grammy winner, however, was royally unimpressed with the criticism. In a lengthy Instagram post, he revealed he not only paid for the trip but also made a donation to balance out the extra carbon emissions. After all, he feels a "profound sense of obligation to protect" the son of his "dearest friend," the late Princess Diana.
"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," he captioned a picture of the duo meeting with children in New Zealand. "After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home."
"To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight. 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 continued. "I highly respect and applaud both Harry and Meghan's commitment to charity and I'm calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis."
For British Vogue's September issue, guest-edited by Meghan, Harry sat down for an interview with Dr. Jane Goodall, in which he revealed they plan to only have two children for the sake of the planet.
"I've always thought: this place is borrowed," he said. And, surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation."