Elton John speaks of his 'dearest friend' Princess Diana as he defends Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in heartfelt Instagram post

Cape Town – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex just can't seem to catch a break. The latest pitchfork-to-the-prince comes after the environmentally-conscious royal couple was accused of spending public money while on vacation with baby Archie for Meghan's 38th birthday and adding to their carbon footprint by supposedly taking a private jet, according to E! News.

READ MORE: Meghan and Harry take baby Archie on secret holiday to Ibiza

For the most part, it was all speculation – the vacation, that is – as neither Prince Harry or Meghan Markle confirmed any birthday plans. But Elton John, who was a close friend of the late Princess Diana, did speak up and defended the royal couple, sharing new details of the trip.

In a lengthy, and rather heartfelt Instagram post, the Rocket Man singer revealed it was his home the couple stayed over at in Nice, and he's "deeply distressed" by the media's "distorted and malicious account" of their stay.

"After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquillity of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight," he explained.

But before you get it twisted, the singer continued, "To support Prince Harry's commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint."

"I highly respect and applaud both Harry and Meghan's commitment to charity," he said.

SEE THE POST HERE:

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I am deeply distressed by today’s distorted and malicious account in the press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at my home in Nice last week. Prince Harry’s Mother, Diana Princess Of Wales was one of my dearest friends. I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death. After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight. To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™ I highly respect and applaud both Harry and Meghan’s commitment to charity and I’m calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis.

A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) on Aug 19, 2019 at 8:39am PDT

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have endured a great amount of scrutiny from the press. From their royal finances to their decision to keep Archie's christening private – anti-monarchy campaigners have had a lot to say about the way the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are blazing their own royal trail.

But Elton John is urging the press to back off saying, "Prince Harry's mother, Diana Princess of Wales, was one of my dearest friends. I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana's untimely death."

"I'm calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis," he said, standing up for the couple as only a true friend and confidante – a true knight (yes, Sir Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998) would.