Is it OK for Elton John to carbon offset Harry and Meghan’s private flight?

IT’S touching that Sir Elton John leaps to the defence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. However, someone needs to explain to him that it’s not about expense, but the carbon footprint. Harry and Meghan can swan around Europe in private jets at the expense of their millionaire friends if they must, but they shouldn’t lecture the rest of us on eco issues. That’s hypocrisy. GAIL COPE, Ashley Heath, Shropshire. ELTON JOHN defends the Sussexes by saying he lent them his private gas-guzzling jet, but paid into the carbon footprint fund. I’m sorry, but in my book that makes it anything but OK. It simply means that those with vast wealth can ignore climate issues for which the rest of us pay surcharges, taxes and more expensive fuel. Money does not make it acceptable to pollute unnecessarily. If anything, it makes it worse. P. WIDDOWS, Heacham, Norfolk.

NONE of us really care about Harry and Meghan’s lifestyle as long as they stop telling us how to live our lives. ROBIN HUNTER, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. THE issue isn’t about who paid for Harry and Meghan’s flight, it’s about them having to fly at all. If you are concerned about climate change, paying into a carbon offset fund isn’t going to give anywhere near the same benefit as simply travelling less or staying at home. MARTIN WAINSCOTT, Bagshot, Surrey. THE hypocritical wealthy think they can pay for the carbon footprint they make with their private jets and affluent lifestyle. Who dreamt up such nonsense to appease the conscience of these people? It allows them to carry on lecturing the rest of us on how we should be limiting our lifestyles to support the fight against climate change? In their world, money can buy anything. Their arrogance and naivety is unbelievable. CORA RITCHIE, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. SO, TRAVELLING in someone else’s private jet doesn’t count, does it? It’s like me having a cream cake with a lowcalorie drink. VIV WILD, Aylesbury, Bucks. HARRY and Meghan should abide by the Queen Mother’s rule of ‘never complain, never explain’. They should also remember that real friends of the Royals never speak to the media. Their celebrity pals should take note. MARGARET NODEN, Costa Blanca, Spain. FOLLOWING their numerous flights (regardless of who paid for them) after lecturing others on the environmental impact of having children and one’s lifestyle choices, I suggest that an extended period of silence from the Sussexes would be most welcome. DON TROWER, Braintree, Essex.