William and Kate troll Meghan and Harry by catching budget Flybe flight

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been spotted flying economy amid an environmental debate over Harry and Meghan’s use of private jets.

William and Kate, along with their three children and nanny, were seen getting off a £73 FlyBe plane at Aberdeen Airport on Thursday morning, before getting into two vehicles.

The family, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, took the 8.45am flight from Norwich International Airport, reported MailOnline.

It is thought they were headed to join the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral for an annual break at their retreat in the Scottish Highlands.

Passengers were shocked to see Prince William carrying numerous bags while George and Charlotte pottered alongside him.

Kate was seen just behind holding little Louis, while nanny Maria Borrallo walked alongside her.

Kensington Palace declined to comment saying it does not discuss what the family choose to do in their private time.

William and Kate’s appearance on the cheap flight comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were criticised for taking four private jet journeys in 11 days, despite recently being outspoken on the fight against climate change.

Critics have called them hypocritical for flying by private jets, which are thought to emit seven times more carbon emissions than an economy flight.

The Sussexes’ trip to Nice, in the south of France, followed a reported holiday to Ibiza to mark the Duchess’s 38th birthday earlier this month.

Celebrities including singer Sir Elton John, pop star Pink and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, have all defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Sir Elton revealed he arranged a private flight to Nice for Harry, Meghan and baby Archie to ‘maintain a high level of much-needed protection’.

Sir Elton condemned the ‘relentless and untrue assassinations on their character’ and wrote on social media that he had made sure the flight was carbon-neutral by making a financial contribution to a carbon footprint charity.

But the Royals have flown economy before, with William and Kate taking a FlyBe flight in 2011 from Edinburgh to Manchester for the wedding of his cousin Zara Tindall, while Harry headed back from the occasion with Ryanair.

The Duke of Cambridge was also seen flying with Ryanair to Scotland in 2015 and last year.

Royal author, Robert Jobson, said there was a ‘lot of nonsense’ spoken regarding security concerns for royals on public flights.

Jobson, who penned a best-selling biography on Prince Charles, told MailOnline: ‘The Royal Family have been using cheap airlines for years, Princess Diana would do it frequently.

‘William and Kate flying on a budget airline proved you can do it, there was no trouble on the flight, and if there was they have their protection officers’.

Actress and campaigner Jameela Jamil, who recently featured on the cover of Meghan’s guest-edited September edition of Vogue, defended the Sussexes and said it was not safe for the public to fly on planes with the royals.

She Tweeted: ‘It’s not safe for us to be on the same planes as royals or presidents you absolute muppets.

‘They are prime targets for kidnap and sometimes assassination.

‘It’s in the interest of us civilians to not be endangered by proximity to people in such powerful positions.’

Singer Pink also ran to Meghan’s defence and said she has been subjected to ‘the most public form of bullying I have seen in a while’, while TV host DeGeneres said the royals are ‘the most down-to-earth, compassionate people’.