Farage defends comments on Harry and Meghan's 'irrelevant campaigns'
Nigel Farage has defended comments he made about Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle over their “irrelevant” environmental campaigns and decision to have a maximum of two children.
In a speech at a conservative political conference in Australia at the weekend, the Brexit Party leader ripped into the royal couple and claimed that Harry's popularity had “fallen off a cliff” after meeting Meghan.
He also branded the late Queen Mother, who lived to 101, an “overweight, chain-smoking gin-drinker”, apparently inspiring confidence that the Queen will live much longer.
Speaking to a partisan crowd of around 500 people in a Q&A, he praised the Duke of Sussex's early “boisterous” years.
“He was this young, brave, boisterous, all male, getting into trouble, turning up at stag parties inappropriately dressed, drinking too much and causing all sorts of mayhem,” he said.
“And then, a brave British officer who did his bit in Afghanistan. He was the most popular royal of a younger generation that we've seen for 100 years.
“And then he met Meghan Markle, and it's fallen off a cliff,” the Guardian reported.
“We've been told in the last week that Meghan and Harry will only have two children… and we're all completely ignoring, the real problem the Earth faces, and that is the fact the population of the globe is exploding but no one dares talk about it, no one dares deal with it.
“Whether Prince Harry has two kids is irrelevant given there are now 2.6 billion Chinese and Indians on this Earth.”
The prince attracted controversy last month after telling an anthropologist and primatologist that the couple will only have two children for the sake of the planet.
Harry said he now views the natural world differently since becoming a father to three-month-old son Archie, and when quizzed by Dame Jane Goodall about how many children he is planning to have with Meghan, he replied “two, maximum”.
Brexit party spokesman Gawain Towler defended the MEP’s comments about Prince Harry.
“No derogatory comments were made about Prince Harry whatsoever and all reporting otherwise is incorrect,” he told Yahoo News.
“Mr Farage explicitly said he hopes the Queen lives a long and healthy life and he continues to support Her Majesty.”
“Australians loved the old Prince Harry,’ he said.
“The whole point of the monarchy is that they don’t have political mandate and does not involve itself in contentious political matters.
“It is in the constitution and they have the support of the nation.
“Prince William avoids taking part in politics because he knows he will be king.”
The former Ukip leader went on to praise the monarch, hailing her “an amazing, awe-inspiring woman” and that “we're bloody lucky to have her.”
The accolade did not extend to her son Charles, the next in line to the throne, whom he criticised for his views on global warming.
He said: “When it comes to Charlie Boy and climate change, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.”
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Farage has in the past said the UK ought to limit efforts to curb global warming, branding climate change a “scam”, according to reports.
In 2008 he was the sole MEP who refused to applaud a speech on the climate crisis by Prince Charles.
Her mother, Her Royal Highness the Queen's mother was a slightly overweight, chain-smoking gin drinker who lived to 101 years old.
Mr Farage appeared to say that he would like the Queen to live long enough to stop ‘Charlie Boy’ becoming king.
“All I can say is Charlie Boy is now in his 70s … may the Queen live a very, very long time.”
Farage opposes Charles' views on climate change, calling them “naive and foolish at best.”
Farage also told his Australian audience that “greenies have taken over this country”, and condemned their former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as a “snake”, in the recording obtained by the Guardian.
The publication heard a recording of part of Farage’s speech.
While not on the recording, other media outlets have reported that Farage described Harry as “the prince of wokeness”.
Farage’s spokesman denies this statement was made, claiming it is “rubbish”.