Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle used a special fleet of Range Rovers shipped from the UK to carry them and their travelling Scotland Yard police escorts on their current 10-day trip to South Africa.
The Times reports the special 4x4s were drafted in for the climate campaigners because organisers behind the Royal visit were unable to locally obtain cars suitable for Harry, Meghan and baby Archie.
It is understood the fleet for the trip were offered by Jaguar Land Rover, who has provided vehicles for the Royal family all over the world for decades, and were transported at no cost to the taxpayer.
The cars included five Land Rover Discoverys as police back-up vehicles as well as the couple’s Range Rover, which they use at home. All the vehicles have been a common feature of the tour and seen in backdrops for pictorial coverage of their events.
The Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex are seen arriving at the Auwal Mosque in Cape Town on day two of their official tour to South Africa. 24 September 2019.Vantage News/IPx
A royal source told the Times: “On this visit it was not possible to obtain enough cars, or cars with extra security features, locally, although this was attempted. Jaguar Land Rover kindly offered to bring cars from the UK to support the visit, at no cost to the taxpayer.”
The travelling demands of being a Royal tourist while maintaining a concern for the environemnt has been a narrow path for Prince Harry and Meghan to negotiate.
In September, Harry defended the couple’s “occasional” private jet flights in Europe and beyond and said they were necessary to keep his family safe.
He said during a visit to Amsterdam: “If I have to do that, it is not a decision that I want to take, but if I have to do that, then I will ensure, as I have done previously, and as I will continue to make sure that I do, that I balance out that impact that I have.”
He added: “I have always offset my CO2. I think part of the group discussion that we had earlier is ‘what is offsetting CO2’.”
The past two months have been busy for the Royal pair, with them spotted at one stage taking four private jet flights in just 11 days. Their seemingly constant air travel has not been without controversy.
In August a barefoot Duke of Sussex stood before an elite audience of business leaders and celebrities gathered at Google’s annual deluxe retreat in Sicily to warn immediate action is needed to avoid an approaching climate catastrophe.
The Evening Standard reported Prince Harry, 34, is understood to have insisted the future of the planet is a humanitarian issue, not a political one, and the world must act as one to avoid disaster.