Prince Harry has been heavily criticised for interviewing his father, the Prince of Wales, during his guest editorship on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Wednesday.
The pair spoke at length about climate change and the need to tackle waste in the economy.
But the topics discussed – and the fact that Prince Harry was interviewing his father in the first place – were widely lambasted by listeners.
The interview raised eyebrows from broadcasters who had tried in vain to speak with Prince Charles in the past.
It has been widely reported that interviewing the royal family doesn’t come without it’s conditions – unless, perhaps, if you are related.
In 2015, it was reported that Prince Charles will only speak to broadcasters if they sign a 15-page contract.
Such conditions reportedly include allowing Clarence House to oversee editing and to even block a broadcast if the heir to the throne does not approve of the final product.
Ben de Pear, editor of Channel 4 News, pondered whether BBC radio 4 Today was subject to the same contract when Prince Harry interviewed his father today.
Others were also highly critical of the fact that Prince Charles was interviewed by his son.
Some listeners wanted to hear from “real people” discussing issues such as inequality, poverty and homelessness, rather than the Royal Family.
Few, if any, of the answers seemed to come as a surprise to Prince Harry, who at times even finished his father’s sentences.
When Prince Harry asked which one issue Prince Charles would focus on in 2018, the younger Royal said: “There’s all sorts of issues I think you could choose but I think you and I would both probably choose the same thing.”
Prince Charles replied: “As you know, because I’ve probably bored you to tears for so many years.. the issue that really does have to be focused on, big time, I think, is this one around the whole issue of climate change.”
The 69-year-old has long been a campaigner for tackling climate change.
He told his son that climate change was “the biggest threat we face” and that it is causing “untold horrors” in parts of the world.
ALSO: 5 Times Prince Harry Almost Got Political During His Today Programme Guest Editorship
He continued: “The mistake is to think that clever technology can solve everything but it can’t solve our relationship with nature, which is where I think it’s gone wrong in that we have somehow abandoned our proper connection with nature.”
Prince Charles said: “We battle against her (nature) in every way instead of understanding that the future lies in working in far greater harmony with nature and trying to ensure successfully that our own economy better mimics and mirrors nature’s brilliant economy.”
He advocated a circular economy, which does not “exploit” and “waste” like a linear economy.
“The circular economy is much more one that mimics nature’s remarkable capacity never to waste anything,” Prince Charles added.
But as the heir to the throne spoke passionately about the need not to waste resources and to respect nature, he was roundly mocked on social media, with others querying what the royal family’s carbon footprint is.
Others also raised questions about Prince Charles’ relationship with nature.
Prince Charles attends hunts and shoots and even lobbied former Prime Minister Tony Blair to scrap the hunting ban.
Prince Harry has also been criticised for shooting wildlife, reportedly joining friends on a wild boar hunting expedition in Argentina earlier this month.
Earlier in the programme, Prince Harry spoke to former US President Barack Obama, who made a veiled attack on Donald Trump.
Obama said the irresponsible use of social media is distorting the public’s understanding of complex issues and leading to the spread of misinformation.
Although Trump was not mentioned by name, Obama said social media platforms are distorting the public’s views and leading to a society where “people can have totally different realities and cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases”.