Prince Harry's latest fiasco is a case study in self-inflicted damage. He's not fit for public life - Lee Cohen

His choice to fly 13,000 miles round-trip from Los Angeles to address an audience in America’s communist adversary —to lecture tourism leaders on climate responsibility, is not just hypocritical; it’s a glaring testament to his catastrophic misjudgment in trying to make it in public without the calibre of advisement he enjoyed as a royal.

The Shanghai fiasco underscores that Harry, hampered by his and Meghan’s poor judgment and chaotic management style, is woefully unprepared to navigate public life without the disciplined support he once had as a working royal.

The Shanghai speech, delivered under the banner of his Travalyst initiative, was a spectacle of self-inflicted damage. Multiple reports indicate that Prince Harry’s speech was not well received by the audience.

Attendees reportedly began leaving their seats during his address, with some media describing the speech as “tone-deaf” and “an embarrassment”.

Moreover, a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai generates significant carbon emissions, dwarfing the annual footprint of an average Briton. Yet Harry, whose 2024 travel reportedly included tens of thousands of air miles, presumed to scold others for their environmental lapses while indulging in the very excesses he condemns.

Critics pounced, with one environmental advocate labelling him a “walking contradiction”, while online commentators mocked his “clueless posturing”. For Britons facing rising costs and climate concerns, being preached to by a prince steeped in privilege is not just irritating—it’s insulting.

This latest gaffe is merely the most recent in a cascade of missteps since Harry ditched the palace’s seasoned advisors for Hollywood’s shallow echo chamber.

The monarchy’s carefully chosen counsel once ensured Harry’s actions aligned with duty and discretion. His new advisors, more versed in celebrity flash than British sensibility, have failed to temper his and Meghan’s knack for catastrophic choices.

The 2021 Oprah interview, where they accused the royal family of racism and neglect, was rightfully seen as a spiteful betrayal, slashing Harry’s UK approval to a mere 24 per cent by 2023. His memoir Spare, with its trivial tales of sibling spats, painted him as petty and vengeful, further alienating a nation that values stoicism. The Netflix series Harry & Meghan only deepened perceptions of self-absorption, prioritising profit over principle.

More damning is Harry’s callous disregard for his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, revered as global treasures. In their final years, as they faced frailty and mounting pressures, Harry’s public attacks—through interviews, books, and documentaries—cast an unforgivable shadow over their twilight.

The Oprah interview, aired as Philip’s health faltered, was particularly cruel, with insiders noting the Queen’s deep pain at Harry’s claims of being abandoned. For a nation that adored her quiet strength, this was a betrayal, framing Harry as a selfish figure who valued headlines over family. Equally shocking are whispers that he explored adopting the surname Spencer, a move that, if true, would renounce the House of Windsor.

This name, tied to his grandmother’s legacy, is a symbol of national continuity; contemplating its rejection signals a profound disconnect from the heritage that shaped him.

Harry’s legal crusade over security, ending in a 2025 court defeat and a public jab at the King, further erodes his public image. His accusation that his father used security as a bargaining chip was a low blow, eroding his standing even further. These errors, driven by Harry and Meghan’s selfishness and impulsivity, would have been impossible under the guidance of royal counsellors.

It’s unimaginable that Palace advisors would have allowed such blunders as preaching green travel while jetting privately or wounding Harry’s grandparents in their final days. Hollywood’s counsel, blind to Britain’s heartbeat, has left Harry vulnerable and subject to his and his wife’s own disastrous instincts.

How long will Harry and his wife be allowed to enjoy titles that they constantly disgrace? Britons deservefar better than a prince who swaps duty for spectacle and betrays his heritage. The Shanghai episode, like his broader post-royal path, proves he cannot thrive without the palace’s wisdom and guidance.

His and Meghan’s poor judgement and instincts reveal a couple out of their depth and devoid of sound counsel. As his family uphold the monarchy’s dignity, Harry’s every move betrays a disgraced prince undone by his own choices.

He couldn't make it as a Royal. Fine. But each disastrous error, each misstep, is a cringeworthy reminder that Hollywood’s sheen cannot replace the greatness of his heritage.