Prince Harry, Meghan Markle private jet criticism: celebs, fans show support

Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres and several other celebs have shown support for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The royal couple drew a lot of criticism for flying in a private jet to John's estate in Nice, France for a family vacation. They were travelling with their baby son, Archie Harrison.

USA Today reports that Harry and Meghan drew flak for reportedly taking four private jets in a span of 11 days and not opting for commercial flights. The royal couple are known for their commitment to the environment and shining the light on environmental issues. However, Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

On Monday, John, who is a friend of Harry's mother Princess Diana, took to social media and slammed critics. "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 wrote.

The singer said, as a friend of Princess Diana, it was his duty to protect the royal couple and their young family. He added that it was the same intrusion by the press that led to Diana's untimely death in 1997. John and David Furnish wanted the royals to have a private and safe holiday in his Nice home after working hard for a year for their charities.

Meanwhile, DeGeneres also defended the "compassionate" royal couple. Taking to social media, she said: "Portia and I met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation. They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people."

The couple's friend and professional polo player, Ignacio Figueras also showed his support and love for Harry and Meghan by commenting on DeGeneres's post.

Harry and Meghan's Nice vacation comes just after they arrived from a holiday in Ibiza to celebrate the latter's birthday. The couple's office declined to comment on the trips.

The Sussexes' travel calendar is full. They will travel to Balmoral Castle to spend time with Queen Elizabeth and other royals for a part of the summer holidays. The duo, along with baby Archie, will embark on an official visit to Africa in September.