KEY POINTS

  • Prince Harry's message at the U.N. Assembly took the focus away from Nelson Mandela, a biographer of the prince claims
  • Angela Levin slammed the prince for ranting about climate change while continuing to use private jets
  • Levin claimed that the Duke of Sussex looked "unhappy" and "lost" at the event

Prince Harry has been called out for his "hypocritical" rant about climate change during a keynote speech at the United Nations to mark Nelson Mandela International Day.

Angela Levin, a veteran journalist on royal affairs who spent a year following Prince Harry on his royal duties for the 2018 biography "Harry: A Biography of a Prince," weighed in on the Duke of Sussex's speech and the backlash it reportedly sparked during an interview on GB News.

"The Americans are absolutely furious with him because how dare an English prince tell them what to do," Levin claimed in the interview. "He talks about climate change and the problem it is and how it eats him up, and he was going home in a private plane. There’s a sort of nonsensical hypocrisy there."

The royal expert also commented on Prince Harry referencing the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, which he did not mention by name but described as the "rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States" in his speech.

"He's very cross about the vote against abortion. Well, that’s not his business, is it? I think it took very much away from the focus on Mandela," Levin told GB News.

The royal commentator went on to criticize Prince Harry for using his speech to launch an "attack" on U.S. politics, claiming his message detracted from the core of the event, which was highlighting the late South African president's achievements and legacy.

Levin also commented on Prince Harry's appearance during the event, claiming that the duke looked "so unhappy, so drained and as if the world was coming to an end."

The award-winning journalist went on to claim that he and Markle did not seem to be a picture of a couple in love.

"This is not somebody showing love or anything because they didn't look at each other. She did it, and he was looking over there and she was over here, so something was going on yesterday," Levin claimed. "I think he's very, very lost, and he's trying to hold on to his mother's magic."

Speaking to the U.N. general assembly in New York Monday, Prince Harry warned about "a global assault on democracy and freedom" while highlighting the "havoc" of climate change, the "horrific war" in Ukraine and the overturning of constitutional rights in the U.S.

"How many of us feel battered, helpless, in the face of a seemingly endless stream of disasters and devastation?" Prince Harry said, the BBC reported. "This has been a painful year in a painful decade."

This is not the first time Prince Harry has come under fire over his travel habits.

The duke, Markle and their two children Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, arrived in the U.K. on a private jet for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last month, Page Six reported.

They also flew via private jet after attending Global Citizen Live in 2021, an event that advocated for climate change action, according to the outlet.

In just one hour, a single private jet can emit two tons of carbon dioxide, according to Transport and Environment.

Prince Harry delivers the keynote address on Nelson Mandela International Day at the United Nations in New York on July 18, 2022
Prince Harry delivers the keynote address on Nelson Mandela International Day at the United Nations in New York on July 18, 2022 AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY