Prince Harry gave a short speech about climate change following the launch of a new streaming platform with a focus on environmental documentaries. His speech, however, was analyzed and criticized for pandering to one particular audience: the Americans.
According to language expert Judi James, Prince Harry's signature public speaking style is usually straightforward. But none of the straight-talk was evident in his new speech as the Duke of Sussex used a "thoroughly muddled PR gobbledygook."
The royal expert said that Prince Harry lost the clarity of his message as he incorporated a "sea of quotes" in his speech. She also described the royal as using "verbal smoke and mirrors" to sound intelligent and experienced. It was clear to the expert that Prince Harry was trying to impress an American audience.
The Telegraph writer Guy Kelly also said that royal's choice of words reflected his "Americanization" when he urged the viewers to be "like raindrops" in the fight against climate change. The Duke of Sussex went on to wax poetic about how every raindrop from the sky "relieves the parched ground." Prince Harry equated raindrops with the small things people can do to help lessen the impact of climate change. He said that if everyone cared enough then this might help fix the growing environmental problem.
But the royal's raindrop analogy has come under fire from the hosts of Good Morning Britain. Piers Morgan accused Prince Harry of preaching yet again and said that he doesn't mind being a raindrop, but the Duke of Sussex should stop using private planes if he's advocating for the environment.
The panelists of Loose Women also took issue with Prince Harry's raindrops remark. Janet Street-Porter took apart the duke's speech with a rant that left the rest of the women speechless.
On the other hand, Stacey Solomon had to explain what Prince Harry really meant when he encouraged the public to be like raindrops. It's about making small changes that can collectively have a huge impact.
Prince Harry's speech was made during the launch of WaterBear, a climate-focused streaming platform. Some compare the site to Netflix for the environmentalists, but it is free to use and, for now, accessible in some European and North American countries only.
The steamer has partnered with over 80 NGOs, which will provide content. One of these NGOs is the African Parks, whose president is the Duke of Sussex.
