Prince Harry appears to be putting the fiasco of the private jet scandal behind him.
Over the weekend, the Duke of Sussex made his first public appearance since July 25, as he attended the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
Prince Harry visited Wembley as patron of the Rugby Football League and shook hands with both the Warrington Wolves and St Helens before standing to sing the national anthem.
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The royal seemed to be in high spirits as he greeted players and mascots, dressed in a blue suit, buttoned-up white shirt and a grey tie.
The 34-year-old shared a post on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Instagram account to congratulate the players.
“Well done to everyone who played in today’s heat! Amazing performances from both winning teams, commiserations to St.Helens and Ireland. Whether you support League or Union, or both, it’s been a great day for rugby overall! Congratulations Warrington and congratulations England. Warrington fans, you were exceptional! Safe journey home to all,” Prince Harry wrote in the caption.
The father-of-one also shared a sweet moment with a little boy on the field.
While shaking hands with each of the mascots, an official stepped in front of the young boy.
However, the Prince noticed this and made sure to speak to the excited youngster before moving on with other handshakes.
Cheryl McKeegan tweeted a clip of the encounter and wrote: “Nice to see Prince Harry doesn’t forget the little people even when others do.”
Prince Harry’s appearance marks the first time the royal has engaged with the public in a month.
According to Express, the Duke’s wife Meghan Markle and son Archie did not join him in Wembley and were believed to be at Frogmore Cottage.
Recently, the royal couple came under fire after chartering a private jet to France.
Express UK reported that their French holiday was estimated to have a carbon footprint of almost three kilograms, while their earlier trip to Ibiza was believed to have wracked up almost four.
Meghan and Harry – who are famously eco-friendly – were slammed on social media for their hypocrisy.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are yet to publicly comment on the private jet controversy, Sir Elton John – who was a friend of Princess Diana – was quick to jump to their defence, taking to Instagram to vouch for the couple.
However, it appears that the couple is brushing off the criticism, with an insider telling Vanity Fair that Meghan was “not wasting time or energy on the row over the private jets.”
“As far as she is concerned it’s a storm that will blow over. She is focused on bigger things right now,” another source added.
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