Harry and Meghan’s PR Team Was Once Easily ‘Duped’ Into Believing They Were Talking to Greta Thunberg

In an unexpected turn of events, Prince Harry found himself at the center of a scandal after being duped by Russian pranksters Vladimir Krasnov and Aleksey Stolyarov, popularly known as "Vovan" and "Lexus." The duo, notorious for their elaborate hoaxes on high-profile figures, managed to convince Harry that he was speaking with the renowned teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg. The incident not only embarrassed the Duke of Sussex but also raised serious questions about the effectiveness of his and Meghan Markle’s security and PR team. The pranksters reportedly initiated contact with Harry by sending an email under a fake name, posing as Thunberg’s 'director.'

As per The Guardian, this email made its way through the Sussexes’ PR channels, eventually landing in Prince Harry’s personal inbox. Stolyarov later revealed, “His staff must have forwarded him the email. Probably the emails were transferred through many people before he got it. We were shocked when he emailed us. No one ever checked us out to see who we really were.” Shockingly, the prince responded, and a phone call was set up, during which Harry believed he was talking to Greta and her father. 

As per CNN, during the call, which took place in 2020, Harry said, “Sometimes the right decision isn’t always the easy one. And this decision certainly wasn’t the easy one, but it was the right decision for our family, the right decision to be able to protect my son. And I think there’s a hell of a lot of people around the world that can identify and respect us for putting our family first. But, yeah, it’s a tricky one, but we will start a new life.” He even took a swipe at the then-U.S. President and said, “I think the mere fact that Donald Trump is pushing the coal industry is so big in America, he has blood on his hands. Trump will want to meet you to make him look better but he won’t want to have a discussion about climate change with you because you will outsmart him.”

With Buckingham Palace’s rigorous screening protocols no longer in place, Harry and Markle were left vulnerable to such situations. The late Queen's former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, warned, “As long as Harry and Meghan are over there, they’re out of the protection of the system. For all its faults, the system does, and is there, to protect. If you’re out of the system you’re open to anything and everything.” 

The ease with which the pranksters accessed Harry’s personal communication channels highlights the potential risks they face. The Russian hackers, who have previously targeted other celebrities and political figures, have denied any connection to Russian intelligence services. They said, “We can responsibly declare, and we have always stated this, that we are not a project of special services, we ourselves are self-sufficient people, we have our own beliefs, our ideas and thoughts.”