King Charles sparks hypocrisy row among climate activists with new staff appointment

DJ Cuppy — real name Florence Otedola - attended the gala in May, where she handed out the trophy to the recipient of the Global Sustainability Award.

Otedola, who even sang about her love of planes in her 2020 song Jollof on The Jet, later spoke with Charles at a special reception at Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.

A climate group has since slammed the monarch, who is known for his commitment to protecting the environment.

Magdalena Heuwieser, co-founder of Stay Grounded, which seeks a ban on private jets, said: “It is hypocritical to choose someone who glamourises private jets to present a sustainability award.

“Private jets are the most climate-wrecking form of transport.”

A spokesman for the Prince's Trust — now operating as The King's Trust International — said: “We are committed to helping young people gain green skills, develop climate literacy and secure green jobs.”

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Throughout his life, Charles has championed environmental issues and has been a leading climate change advocate, giving his first speech on the matter aged just 21.

The King has spent years campaigning for conservation, organic farming and other eco causes. Whilst sustainability has become popular and trendy in recent years, Bob Ward, a policy and communications director, said the King’s passion for the environment was viewed as an “oddity” in his early years.

In May, the monarch warned in an address to the United Nations that the planet is at a “crucial moment” and “action is needed”.

Speaking at the UN 4th International Conference on Small Islands Developing States, Charles said “bold and determined action” was required to protect vulnerable nations from climate change and nature loss.

Speaking from inside Buckingham Palace, the King said: “You have gathered at a crucial moment for our planet, and for all of us who share it.

“Small Island Developing States exemplify, in so many ways, the challenges facing our world: from rising sea levels, to food and water insecurity; from ever more intense disasters to the disproportionate impact of global shocks.

“Throughout the years, I have been fortunate to visit many small island nations. Time and again - whether in Vanuatu or Barbuda - I have seen the critical challenges you face, and how they can multiply to a terrifying and existential degree.”