Harry ‘stayed on a gas guzzling super-yacht for Google’s green summit’
PRINCE HARRY is facing renewed controversy over hi s trip to Google’s ‘green’ summit in Sicily amid claims that he stayed on a super-yacht.
Several sources have told The Mail on Sunday that the Prince was a guest on one of the giant vessels moored near the exclusive Verdura Golf and Spa Resort where the climate change retreat was held.
One insider said: ‘He was staying on the yacht with some of the other VIPs. He would sleep on there, come in the morning and be around the resort during the day.’
According to experts, a 390ft super-yacht produces about 3.3 tons of damaging carbon dioxide each hour at sea by burning through around 200 gallons of fuel.
Vessels spotted during the Google Camp – an annual event launched by the tech giant’s founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 2012 – included the 300ft Eos, owned by Expedia billionaire Barry Diller, and Infinity, the 290ft yacht belonging to former Google boss Eric Schmidt.
Last night Mr Diller, 77, denied Harry, 34, had joined celebrities including Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom on his yacht, but praised the Prince’s ‘eloquent’ speech – which he reportedly delivered barefoot – about trying to save the planet by taking fewer selfies.
‘He was saying there are many holiday destinations that because of Instagram and other things are getting trampled by people taking selfies, and these places... are overwhelmed with tourism,’ Mr Diller told The Mail on Sunday.
‘The principal argument he was making was the need to actually expand people’s interest in places that are not so obviously “selfieised”. It should be a goal to expand where people go for tourism, so these very few places with an enormous concentration of tourists would get some relief.
‘I was very much impressed by him. Standing up on that stage in front of this particular group of people is daunting. He did it both gracefully and without a script. He was simply eloquent.’
Despite attending a summit to discuss tackling climate change, many of the well- heeled guests arrived by private plane.
As well the 114 jets lined up at Palermo airport, The Mail on Sunday has established that a further 220 landed at Trapani airport in North-West Sicily.
Many of the guests were then whisked to the Verdura resort by helicopter.
The airport’s director Michele Bufo said: ‘The helicopters waited on the runway and were no more than 30 feet from the jets so that guests could travel in the maximum comfort and security.’
According to witnesses, Harry arrived at one event with John Elkann, boss of Fiat Chrysler.
The car-making firm was recently forced to recall 863,000 vehicles that violate emission standards following a ruling by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Buckingham Palace last night declined to comment.