Prince Harry is under fire over his decision to attend the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
The Duke of Sussex was spotted without Meghan Markle at the Circuit of the Americas where he was a guest for the Mercedes team.
The Duke, who is a huge fan of the sport, has been blasted for “rank hypocrisy” as a result of his decision to attend the event due to his apparent stoic commitment to tackling climate issues.
Michael Cole has criticised Prince Harry's latest public appearance
GB NEWS / REUTERS
Speaking on GB News, royal commentator Michael Cole questioned how Harry could square his eco activism with his passion for F1, a sport well known for its gas-guzzling engines and worldwide travel.
He advised Harry “practice what you preach” in a fiery rant about his recent environmentally unfriendly exploits.
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“This is a classic case of ‘don’t do as I do, do as I say’, it’s rank hypocrisy”, he said.
“It is hard to think of a less eco friendly event than F1 racing, and there we have Harry in the Mercedes garage taking great interest.
“He has always loved speed, he had ‘Go Faster’ stripes on his pram as a baby. None of this Just Stop Oil mob were there either, they perhaps realised Texas is the oil state and if they tried any of their little trick there, they would have found the Texans a lot less friendly than the Metropolitan Police.”
Cole added that Harry and Meghan recently took a private jet to an island predominantly visited by A-listers in another show of eco hypocrisy.
Prince Harry spoke to Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner
ReutersHe said: “It gets worse. Having attended an eco event in New York, Harry and Meghan then took a private jet to the Grenadines to have a holiday.
“If you are going to promote these causes, you have to live by them. Practice what you preach.”
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation pledged to be net zero by 2030 in an announcement made back in 2021.
The couple wanted to cut its carbon emissions over the next few years due to their “long-standing commitment to the planet, both together and prior to their union.”
Harry’s trip to Austin reaffirmed his love for the sport which he has watched live on previous occasions.
The Duke was present in the Mercedes garage for the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he delivered a message of congratulations over the team radio to Lewis Hamilton for winning the world championship.
Harry was again present in the Mercedes garage for the most recent event in another show of support for Hamilton.
His support came to no avail, with the Stevenage-born driver having his second placed finish snatched away from him after his car breached the regulations, prompting a disqualification.
The Englishman finished just over two seconds behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after showing great pace throughout the race in an encouraging weekend for the team.
Mercedes have lagged behind Red Bull this season, even struggling to compete with Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin at times.