The Daily Mail must have paid a small fortune for the exclusive, blurry photos of the Duchess of Sussex exiting a private plane at the Santa Barbara Airport, because the Mail is still trying to gin up some outrage about it. Meghan and Harry reportedly took a private plane to Vancouver, and Meghan left Canada on Tuesday so she could return home to her kids. Per usual, the Daily Mail only cares about plane and helicopter usage when it involves Harry and Meghan. They couldn’t care less when Prince William and Kate use British-taxpayer-funded helicopters as taxis. William has a whole-ass environmental busywork scheme, yet he’s never given a headline like “ECO-WARRIOR FRAUD Prince William takes royal helicopter to Birmingham!” And yet, this is the Mail’s headline: “Meghan Markle’s ‘$30,000 private jet trip’: Eco-preaching duchess flew back to California from Invictus Games on gas-guzzling plane that created six-tonnes of CO2 – and included mystery stopover in Seattle.” Has Meghan ever positioned herself as an environmentalist? Has she ever “eco-preached”? William has definitely “eco-preached.”
Meghan Markle’s private jet trip back from the Invictus Games in Canada could have cost up to $30,000 and created six tonnes of CO2 on the three-hour flight that included a mystery stopover in the US, MailOnline can reveal today. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has jetted back home to California from Vancouver – without her husband Harry – and the couple are believed to have used the same $9million plane to fly up last week.
The average cost of hiring a jet of that size is between $7,000 to $10,000 per hour meaning that the former Suits star’s flight home could have cost between $21,000 and $30,000.
Meghan and Harry have previously won green awards and were even named environmental ‘role models’ in 2021. But Meghan’s flight will have burned around 800 gallons of fuel and created around 6.6 tonnes of CO2, which weighs the same as a large elephant.
Meghan landed at Santa Barbara Airport at 5.01pm on Tuesday after supporting her husband in Canada at Invictus’ first winter games.
But MailOnline can reveal that the flight logs for the Bombardier CL-600 luxury jet show that it stopped in Seattle for around 30 minutes before taking off again for its final destination. She took off from Vancouver at 2.06pm local time on February 11 and landed over the border in Seattle at 2.40pm. The private jet took off again at 3.14pm and landed in Santa Barbara almost two hours later. The Bombardier CL-600, which can carry up to ten passengers and has a range of over 5,000 miles, includes its own a private crew serving hot meals and drinks.
It also has a large hold for bags and other items, exemplified by the amount of luggage taken out when the Duchess of Sussex landed in California on Tuesday.
MailOnline has asked a spokesman for the Duchess why she used a private plane rather than a commercial flight and the reason for the pitstop in Seattle.
Great, now do William and Kate. How did Kate get to the Alps for her post-Christmas ski holiday? Why did William cancel his Army Air Corps event last month, and was it because they wouldn’t let him pull a stunt with one of their expensive machines? Why did King Charles make William sign a waiver because of the Waleses’ excessive helicopter usage? It continues to blow my mind that the Mail is truly trawling through FAA records to track the Sussexes’ private plane usage and they have absolutely no smoke for the left-behind royals’ travel arrangements. And even then, notice how the Mail hasn’t found the ownership of the plane – it’s more than likely that the Sussexes just rented it for these flights, or perhaps one of their wealthy friends let them hitch a ride. Perhaps a Seattle-based friend?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Whistler Welcome Celebration for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. She delivers a heartfelt speech praising Prince Harry’s dedication to the Games and their family. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Whistler Welcome Celebration for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. She delivers a heartfelt speech praising Prince Harry’s dedication to the Games and their family. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 08 Feb 2025 Credit: INSTARimages
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Basketball in Vancouver Convention Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Featuring: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 09 Feb 2025 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Whistler Welcome Celebration at the 2025 Invictus Games Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Whistler, Canada When: 10 Feb 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Whistler Welcome Celebration at the 2025 Invictus Games Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Whistler, Canada When: 10 Feb 2025 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at the Whistler Welcome Celebration during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 . Featuring: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 10 Feb 2025 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Whistler Welcome Celebration during The 2025 Invictus Games Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 11 Feb 2025 Credit: INSTARimages
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Whistler Welcome Celebration during The 2025 Invictus Games Featuring: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 11 Feb 2025 Credit: INSTARimages
Oh look. The Royal rota rats being hypocritical racists again.
They really can’t help themselves. Racists just can’t stop.
I wonder if buying all the commercial seats for the security and staff she has to travel with because people keep threatening her life, would be an environmental cost saving?
Where was race mentioned?
Uh, this writer posits race as the basis of the British Royal’s issues with the Duke and Duchess.
My parents live in Santa Barbara and we have flown on these private planes, they are more expensive but there are always other passengers. Meghan did not have her own private plane. There are a number of these flights from Vancouver to LA, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs, many business types use them, It is not luxurious, just quicker and more discreet. Luxurious is flying from one castle to another or to a photo op only an hours drive away.
A safe bet is she stopped at Seattle to drop someone off. She and Harry are generous to their friends
Or the other way around – use my plane, just drop me off in Seattle.
That works as well. They know lots of people who can afford planes.
Black woman flies in private plane. Racist heads explode. News at eleven.
It is insane that they focus on the ones who pay for stuff themselves. NK levels of deception protecting the other ones.
Let’s hear about all the helicopters and private plane usages of the welfare frauds on salt island that the taxpayers there are footing the bills. Harry and Meg are private citizens and it’s nobody’s business.
Does Melinda Gates still live in Seattle, and Mackenzie Scott, and the Starbuck’s guy…lots of uber wealthy people in Seattle.
That’s exactly what I was going to say, that maybe Melinda Gates was at the IG, and they carpooled (planepooled?) home and just dropped her off in Seattle.
But as someone below mentioned, the customs thing makes sense, too. Maybe both?
You know who else flies privately ALWAYS-King Charles. Where are his headlines. And if this is the estimated cost where are the articles every time big bucks are paid out for Charles and W&K to fly private? If there was lots of baggage unloaded there were most likely more passengers, including probably the owner of the plane. One passenger likely got off in Seattle.
But when you’re anointed by God, everything you do is ok.
No they never get tired because social media is where people can both take things personally and vent their anger anonymously.
Charles took a helicopter to a food bank. He got no criticism for it. Very sick.
What green awards have Harry and Meghan won? And the entitlement lmao why tf should she tell you why she stopped somewhere and why she didn’t take a commercial flight?
Well, Prince Harry made it on the Time100 Climate list 2024.
He is quoted in the Time article:
„As I sought solutions to some of the world’s most pressing conservation challenges, I quickly realized just how profound an impact the travel and tourism industry has…(…)“
@ Royal woodworm, and so…????? Doesn’t William have a whole ass Earthsh!t gig? Where’s all the outcry about his constant use of a helicopter like he’s using a regular yellow taxi? Miss me with this “Harry made it to Time100…” hypocrisy…….
The plane stopped in Seattle to clear customs as SB probably does not have a customs office since LA and SF do. Plane looked like a standard charter, not a luxury private aircraft.
I assume the plane carried Katie Perry with them on the way up, which is standard arrangement for big performers.
I think you can clear customs in Vancouver.
Correct. But if flying private, not set up to go onto plane by customs agent so you don’t have to go into the terminal and do lines. In US, private avation does.
You go through US preclearance at Vancouver — been there, done that. There was likely one or more people on the plane that needed dropping off in Seattle.
Meghan and/or Harry would never travel solo on a private plane, never. But the Fail isn’t about to tell any whole hard truths that there were other passengers on board that plane, they’re liars through and through.
pre clearance is only commercial. Private flights have to clear customs in the U.S. and SBA doesn’t have customs… BFI does.
I bet SBA does not have customs facilities. BTW, not trying to hijack, but everyone needs to see the Santa Barbara airport at least once. It’s beautiful. I was in awe.
Every airports has customs facilities even Santa Barbara, it is a small airport but everyone has to clear customs.
Whataboutism is never a good look. Two things can be true at the same time. Aren’t these your own mantras on this website?
Huh??????
Since Meghan has never spoken about climate change I’m not sure what ‘whataboutism’ you are referring too. Why attack a woman who is not an environmental campaigner?
What is definitely true is that Charles and Will fly privately much more often than Harry and Meghan. And yet, that is never highlighted in these types of articles. Just more examples of the racism and misogyny rampant in the media. If this were done on an even-handed basis there would be no “whataboutism”. There is also never a true account of how many people were on the flights or who the planes actually are chartered by or owned by.
there is NEVER any criticism about W&K’s helicopter or plane usage. None. Same with Charles.
If they want to start criticizing someone for it, they can start with the person who declared his environmental prize to be the next Superbowl or Nobel Prize or whatever.
Until they bring the same energy for W&K, the ones supported by taxpayers, that they have for H&M, they can eff right off.
EXACTLY. It’s not whataboutism if nothing is ever said about one side using private jets and helicopters with the added benefit of having UK taxpayers who will never in their lives ever afford this same service have to pay for them.
@Olala – Although I agree with your basic point, it would seem to me that you’re ignoring the fact that the taxpayers are paying for the BRF to use private planes and helicopters like they’re Ubers. What makes matters worse is that the press rarely (if ever) call them out on it and keep championing them as environmentalists. Only the other week a huge deal was made of William taking a train to one of his visits. However, what they didn’t report was that his helicopter flew up empty so, that he could fly off to a football match. Now you tell me which is the bigger scandal. A woman flying home on a plane which most likely had other passengers or a wannbe Green Champion ordering a helicopter to fly empty halfway across the country. In this case it would have looked a lot better if he’d flown to the visit and then used it to fly out to the football match.
Let’s also not forget that this isn’t the first time William has pulled that trick – the Ryan Air debacle was another time where an empty plane had to fly across the country so that William could look like a good guy.
Pointing out direct hypocrisy is not “whataboutism”. Nice try though.
Right? Love it when the sock puppets come out to play.
Giving your favorites a pass to screw up the environment because they aren’t “activists” or something IS direct hypocrisy. You are either for the environment or you aren’t. If you’re only for it when Charles abuses it, then you aren’t, really.
@Olala: this is a celebrity gossip website, not an environmental activism website.
@Olala The point is standing up against racism and misogyny and elitism and bias in media. Those issues are as important as environmental issues.
When the Sussexes fly private they pay for it themselves. You know who pays for the egregious amount of heli and private jet flights the BRF take? The British tax payers, that’s who. They don’t drop a dime of their billions — paying for stuff is soooo gauche dontcha know…
You’re assuming that everyone feels the same way about this issue and they do not. Whatever your intentions, these are your values you think others are subscribing to but ignoring for them.
Their money, their flight
And attitudes like this is why we have Elon.
No, we have Elon because of people like you, who expect perfection from liberals and NOTHING from anyone else.
Yeah, no, nice try though. Actually, not so nice.
Hope you didn’t hurt anything when you made that stretch, Olala.
Musk doesn’t care about the environment any more than DT does. He is supposed to be addressing government waste. I guess that means goodbye AF1.
Only private jets can transport, William, Kate the middletons to those expensive resorts. Not a word said about that.
They don’t care about environmentalism. They care about who’s plane it was, how Meghan knows them, and how wealthy they are. Because they want to write endless stories about literally anything and they have no leaks. That’s the entire purpose of their ” Mail remembers” series, they only have old news.
I laugh myself silly whenever I catch glimpses of their Katie in her royal GF period, or outfit changes over the years. That’s all they’ve got to work with! Nada!
Charles takes private jets to his vacation trips to Transylvania, etc. There is a story about the then Prince Charles sending back a private jet to pick up something he had forgotten in his luggage.
Tessa: and there was an article in the mail that when flying to represent the crown while still married but seperated, Cammie flew behind him in an extra plane…
Prince Charles brings a toilet seat and personal chef wherever he goes. Wonder what his pile of luggage looks like when disembarking.
Like others are saying, now do the left-behind royals, Daily Fail.
Honestly, I don’t love anyone using private planes because of the environmental impact but I get why they do it. If I had their security concerns, I probably would too.
Huh, only 30k for a private plane? I mean that’s way too rich for my blood LOL but for someone at H&M’s level, it seems sort of reasonable. Assuming she traveled with a few staff and a lot of luggage and security – if she flew first class those tickets could have potentially been close in price.
Anyway, now do W&K. I can’t take any criticism of their private plane usage seriously when William is taking a helicopter between KP and Adelaide and Anmer like its an uber.
Ok I’m gonna say it but no one in Donald Trump’s America gives a f*ck if someone takes a private plane. My main concern is it taking off and landing safely with how he’s hollowing out and dismantling every federal agency to keep us safe. That said, the Fail can go off all they want but this is none of their business, Meghan owes no one any explanation and this isn’t a taxpayer expense. They are so obsessed with everything she does and wants her to apologize for doing anything. It’s so ridiculous. This right wing paper does not care about the environment or emissions or any of that “woke” stuff. They only care that the Black duchess does rich girl stuff and they don’t like it.
You are so spot on F4Frimaire! Exactly. As much as I don’t like private planes the reality is some people are too famous to fly commercial and their presence at an airport would cause chaos. Think Michael Jackson or Princess Diana. And the chaos that followed whenever they showed up anywhere.
Meghan and Harry really are that famous. And as much as I don’t like William, he is the heir to the throne and should probably fly privately. I don’t want my own life endangered more than it already is when I fly by having a high value target on a plane. And for what? So they can pretend to be normal oh look at Tiger Woods on a plane! He’s just like us. Please.
Now should Leonardo DiCaprio fly commercial? Yes, absolutely. No one 40 and above knows who the eff he is. He’s unrecognizable and would probably blend in. Keanu Reeves, as famous as he is, manages to fly commercial. There are a number of famous people who COULD do it. Now should Taylor Swift do this? Absolutely not! It’s a danger to all of us having that kind of chaos in an airport.
As much as they hate to admit it Meghan really is that famous. She is a high value target and needs to fly privately. Her children, should also fly privately. That is for her own safety and others.
The reality remains that cruise ships are the BIGGEST polluters of our oceans. Unless you’re going to Antarctica or a place that isn’t accessible by plane the best way to stop this is challenge grandma or whoever when they start talking about that dream cruise. Time for these covid ships to retire.
Also, the majority of the time they do fly commercial or hitching a ride on these private flights with others. They are going to fly to get to the places they need to get to and sometimes that will involve private flights.
The only reason this is even a story or issue is because it was Meghan who was taking a private plane.. and of course according to the BRF and their rota Meghan doesn’t deserve anything nice, luxurious, or even safe even though she has worked and earned every single dollar that is paying for it. I’m so tired of all this outrage drumming that only applies when it’s Meghan.
The only time the Mail cares about (or even admits the reality of) climate change is when Meghan takes a flight.
Exactly this.
” Meghan Markle’s private jet trip back from the Invictus Games in Canada could have cost up to $30,000 “: at least, her self-funded extravaganza didn’t cost a life like Duchess Sophie’s economical car ride.
Unless the Derail’s unrelenting bullying of the Duchess of Sussex makes it unsafe for her to travel a regular airline?
Excellent points all round.
I believe Sophie’s accompanying police outrider is quite rightly being prosecuted, but what the hell was Sophie ever needing a police escort anywhere ?
The royals they pay for never reveal how many trips they make by helicopter or by private plane. They choose to keep it private from the people who pay for them as well as the number of people of color they definitely don’t have working for them. Yet, never a single article attacking the prince who actually started a foundation focused on the environment. No mention of the private jets they must fly on in order to land at their annual vacation spot, the Mystique islands. Instead they decide to do a deep dive into the travels of two people who left five years ago and are financially independent. In their deep dive they fail to mention that unlike the other royals they have always chosen to offset any carbon omissions during their travels. They also failed to not lie by trying to include Meghan as being an avid environmentalist who has spoken about the environment, which she has never done. The Mail are so desperate for dirt on the Sussexes that they will ignore the wasteful royals they pay for, just to stalk the impactful ones they don’t pay for.
That is weird. I guess by being a Californian that naturally makes her suspect (i.e., ‘woke’, environmentalist, etc.)?
The Fail are really disgusting.
I’d very much like to know how they justify the four adults of the royal family owning two Agusta Westland helis, costing ~ £ 8.5 million/~ $ 10.72 million/~ € 10.21 million each, paid for by the British taxpayers.
Plus the annual costs of at least ~ £ 1.5 million to the taxpayers for flying around those four adults, not mentioning the tonnes of carbon they produce, which is on average a lot more than what a Bombardier CL 600 produces. Have the Fail also reached out to the RF about that, or their use of private planes when they go on vacation? Or how many tonnes of carbon waste they created for that Flybe stunt?
Plus those tonnes of carbon the Fail’s owner, the non-dom (= not paying taxes) Jonathan Harmsworth, viscount Rothermere, produces, whenever he jets into the UK from wherever he lives, e.g. for state dinners and conducting his regular business.
But of course we can’t have that. It’s only bad when Meghan (and Harry) do it.
Who got a mark on their backs because of all the (misogynoir) lies the British media writes about them. Daily and repeatedly.
BTW, the average costs I found for leasing a CL 600 are between $ 5000 and $ 6500 per hour, from December 2024.
But of course $ 10,000 per hour looks so much nicer when they’re pocket-watching that American Duchess.
Let us all remind outselves of the deep-seated psychopathy of the average british royalist……especially those who work in their shitmedia and the ones who consume its effluence; therefore, nothing they say or do is to be processed for understanding in the same manner as that of normal/average human beings.
How many magazine covers did Leo do promoting the environment. Man hasn’t taken a commercial flight in probably over 25 years. Then gets all insulted when asked about it in once during a movie promotion.
And like everyone posted above where is the british media outrage for the BRF flying private and all the joy rides William liked to do with his helicopters.
Sometimes flying private is necessary due to security and logistics. But H&M have flown commercial also. Nice of the british media to try and dimish the good work they are doing with the Invictus games with some fluff story to deflect from it.
Message to the Mail Online, it’s no of your darn business or anyone else why Meghan used a private plane or stopped off in Seattle. Recently Willian took a private plane to Monaco to watch a football (soccer) game, no comment in the tabloid press about that.
My goodness what a weird article .
They are stalking the woman they say is irrelevant and they are glad she left England .
What business is it what she does .
This hate is getting sicker and sicker .
@MikeB – and W should have been roasted for that, really roasted, as from the London airports there are literally hundreds of flights a day down to Nice. From early til late.
The poor Mail is just mad that they cannot say on taxpayer’s dime anymore.
Yep and so salty a Black woman has the money to do this on her own with money she earned.
Exactly! The Black part is why they hate her so much. A woman who earns her own way has somebody feeling some type of way about it. But a wealthy biracial/Black woman is especially appalling to bigots. They are far more comfortable with seeing us as poor and destitute.
Yes , the Wales’s used a private plane too !
According to recent reports, the Wales family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, most likely traveled to their ski holiday in the Alps by private plane shortly after Christmas, enjoying a “quiet break” away from the public eye; details suggest they flew out from their home at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate to reach their chosen ski resort.
Willy flies constantly between kp and Windsor. He flies to most of his engagements. When he and Kate went to the rugby in France year before last, they took two private planes because they can’t stand each other. They fly private everywhere, never travel commercial – or rarely. It’s not just holidays.
Anyone know what she’s drinking here? Kinda looks like a craft beer, judging by the lacing on the glass….
Glad Meghan is safe
Now they should do the man who created Earthsh*t
It’s not just the fab 4 that fly heli and private. Prince Edward regularly gets choppered around. I’d guarantee they flew private for their hiking trip (ahem, work visit) to Nepal. Edward and Ford fiesta are snobs and don’t do riff raff.