Harry should acknowledge devastating effects of drug use

A friend of Prince William told The Daily Beast that Prince Harry should apologize for taking cocaine as a young man during his and his wife Meghan Markle’s trip to Colombia, which began on Thursday.

The friend said: “Harry admitted in his book to taking coke (Spare part). His trip to Colombia should include an admission that the country has been destroyed by narco-terrorists who serve wealthy drug users in the West, and he should stand up and apologize for his own involvement in this disgusting trade. That would be a helpful intervention.”

Drug-related crime has made the South American country one of the most dangerous places to live in the world. It has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Cocaine cultivation and production, often carried out in makeshift laboratories in the Amazon jungle, also have devastating effects on the natural environment, which activists have been drawing attention to for years. A recent campaign on the issue in Sweden claimed that for every gram of cocaine produced, four square meters of rainforest are destroyed. In addition, Swedish streets have been decorated with posters bearing slogans such as: “I only support gang wars when I’m with friends” or “I only support child labor when there is a reason to celebrate.”

Harry and Meghan’s quasi-royal tour of Colombia is set to begin on Thursday this week. In a statement announcing the trip, the government said the couple were going there to recognise their “global leadership in promoting a safer online environment”. It added that this was also part of the aim of a conference to end violence against children due to take place in Colombia in November.

Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

When asked about the stated motive, Prince William’s friend gave a scathing reply to The Daily Beast: “I cannot imagine that online trolling is the greatest threat to children being exploited, enslaved and murdered by drug gangs.”

Windsor supporters have expressed their anger at the trip to The Daily Beast. A source recently told The Daily Beast, “I fear it shows their utter disdain for the King and for long-established ways of doing things. Royal trips have always been about diplomacy, about building bridges and strengthening friendships on behalf of Britain. While this trip may have the noblest of intentions, it is clearly not being undertaken on behalf of Britain, and yet they are still essentially portraying themselves as British royals. It shows exactly why the royals want to keep these two as far away as possible.”

The Duke wrote in Spare part that cocaine “didn’t do anything for me” when he took “one line” at 17. He also said, “Marijuana is different, it actually really helped me.”

Harry hinted in his book and in interviews that he continued to use marijuana for mental health reasons.

Marijuana remains illegal in many countries and its production and distribution are often associated with gang violence, slavery and other human rights violations, as well as ecological damage.

William praises enormous fundraising campaign

Prince William has long had a passion for emergency services. This is understandable given that he worked for emergency services in East Anglia and Anglesey early in his marriage to Princess Kate. He is also a patron of the London Air Ambulance and has been an important part of their fundraising over the years.

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On Friday, the organization had every reason to celebrate: it reached its long-standing goal of raising £15 million ($19 million).

William took to social media, writing on the London Air Ambulance Charity’s official social media page: “London, you did it… We are delighted to announce that we have exceeded our fundraising target of £15 million to replace our helicopters and keep them in the air for many years to come.”

Andrew looks forward to escaping Balmoral

Prince Andrew is finding it difficult to leave his home, Royal Lodge, according to a new report. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the British tabloid Sun: “He sees his grandchildren often and enjoys spending time with them.

“I think because (Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie) know he’s stuck at Royal Lodge, they’ll make the effort to visit him rather than him coming to visit them.”

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Seward, editor of majesty Magazine, said: “The Duke of York is quite restricted in his travel options because he obviously doesn’t want to be photographed and then criticised. So his world is very narrow.” She added that Andrew is expected to travel to Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the coming weeks for the royal family’s annual holiday.

King Charles supports anti-racism protesters

King Charles has expressed his support for anti-racism protesters who took to the streets peacefully to protest against the far-right rioters whose violence has caused chaos, destruction and fear in British cities in recent days.

The far-right protests were fuelled by misinformation about the identity of the suspected murderer of three young girls during a Taylor Swift dance class – and led to attacks on mosques, looting and the attempted arson of a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Yves Herman/Reuters

A statement from Buckingham Palace said: “This evening The King held a telephone audience with the Prime Minister and also had a joint call with the Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, and UK Gold Commander Ben Harrington, Chief Constable of Essex Police. In these calls, His Majesty was updated on the current situation and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the police and emergency services for all they are doing to restore peace in areas affected by violent unrest.”

The statement continued: “The King shared how encouraged he has been by the many examples of community spirit that have countered the aggression and criminality of the few with the compassion and resilience of the many. His Majesty continues to hope that shared values ​​of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”

This week in royal history

Happy 74th birthday this week to Princess Anne, born on August 15, 1950.

Cameron Smith/Pool via Reuters

Unanswered questions

How will Harry and Meghan’s visit to Colombia go? Will Charles visit the cities affected by far-right protests?