FOUR helicopter flights for Charles to watch polo

PRINCE Charles warned in 2009 that there were ‘less than 100 months’ for the world to avoid irreversible damage due to climate change.

But as the deadline approaches, he appears to be taking a relaxed approach to saving the planet. I hear the heir to the throne used the royal helicopter to take him to a polo match at the weekend in an extravagant round-trip that will have cost thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money and racked up a massive carbon footprint.

The Prince, who declared in 2012 that ‘mankind must go green or die’, booked the Sikorsky chopper, which is based at RAF Odiham, Hampshire. It flew the 60-mile journey to Charles’s Gloucestershire retreat, Highgrove, picked him up and took him the 68 miles to Windsor Great P ark. There he transferred to a Jaguar for the short hop to Guards Polo Club to watch England defeat South America in the Coronation Cup.

The trophy is sponsored by whisky brand Royal Salute, whose parent company, Pernod Ricard, is a generous donor to royal charities.

After Charles had presented the cup to the England team, who included royal chums Luke and Mark Tomlinson, he hopped into the Jaguar before boarding the helicopter back to Highgrove. It is understood to have then returned to its base.

The four trips will have racked up 256 air miles, while the P rince could have driven to W indsor and back in 155 miles.

It would have taken about an hour and 45 minutes each way by car for Charles, who had no other official engagements.

By road, the journey could have used less than four gallons of petrol, while the four flights would have burnt an estimated 200 gallons of aviation fuel.

The royal helicopter is paid for out of the £40 million Sovereign Grant given to the Queen each year by the Government.

The cash comes from the profits of the Crown Estate, which were previously handed to the Treasury.

A Clarence House spokesman says the engagement ‘was fitted into a packed diary at relatively short notice.

‘The Prince had a number of personal commitments after a heavy week of public engagements and his mode of transport was chosen so that no one was let down and limited time available could be maximised.

‘A number of factors are taken into consideration when deciding which form of travel to use for each engage - ment, including security, punctuality and logistics.’