【こぼれ話】ヘンリー英王子、グレタさんの名をかたるいたずら電話に本音？

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】政治家や芸能人に正体を偽って電話をするいたずらを繰り返していたロシアの2人組が11日、今月末に英王室を離脱するヘンリー王子に電話をかけ、スウェーデンの環境活動家グレタ・トゥンベリさんからの電話だと信じ込ませたと明らかにした。これに先立ち、英紙サンが1面でいたずら電話の詳細を伝えていた。（写真はヘンリー王子）
　いたずら電話をかけたのは「ボバンとレクサス」として知られる「ボバン」ことウラジーミル・クズネツォフさんと、「レクサス」ことアレクセイ・ストリャロフさん。
　２人は以前にもトルコのレジェプ・タイップ・エルドアン大統領や英歌手エルトン・ジョンさん、そして２０１８年にはボリス・ジョンソン英外相（現首相）にもいたずら電話をかけたことがある。
　２人は昨年１２月と今年１月にヘンリー王子に電話をかけ、トゥンベリさんとその父親のスバンテさんからだと思い込ませた。
　サン紙によると、ヘンリー王子はトゥンベリさんへの支持を表明し、気候変動に対するドナルド・トランプ米大統領の姿勢を批判し、次のように語ったという。
　「残念ながら、世界は幾人かの非常に病んだ人たちに率いられている。だから、変化をもたらすのはあなたのような人や若い世代の人たちだ」「ドナルド・トランプが石炭産業を後押ししているというまさにその事実は、米国において非常に大きい。彼の手は血塗られている」
　ヘンリー王子は、妻のメーガン妃、長男のアーチーちゃんと共に北米に移ったことについて、メディアの注目から「息子を守るために正しい決断だった」と述べ、「難しい決断だったが、私たちは新しい生活を始める」と付け加えた。
　また、「誰も私たちから称号を奪ってはいない」「明らかに称号を利用してお金を稼がないよう求められただけで、そんなことをするつもりは毛頭ない」として、英メディアが王子一家の将来の王族としての地位に関する問題を誇張しすぎていると述べた。
　今回のいたずら電話で一般人としての生活は王室の生活よりひどいか、と尋ねられたヘンリー王子は「いや、（一般人としての生活の方が）ずいぶん良い」と返答し、「あなたは忘れているようだが、私は１０年間軍にいたのだから、私の家族がそう信じたがっているよりも一般的だ」と続けて、英王室内部に緊張状態があることをほのめかした。
　ＡＦＰはヘンリー王子夫妻の公邸、ケンジントン宮殿にコメントを求めたが返答はなかった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/03/12-12:51）

Russian pranksters on Wednesday said they duped Prince Harry into believing he was speaking to environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, after The Sun newspaper gave details of hoax calls.
It was us, Vladimir Voyan Kuznetsov told AFP in response to the British tabloid's front-page report, which said the prince was duped into two chats with him and Alexei Lexus Solyarov.
The pair, known as Vovan and Lexus, have made a habit of fooling politicians and pop stars in prank calls.
Their previous victims include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pop icon Elton John and Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself when he was foreign secretary in 2018.
In the conversations, which took place in December and January, the prince was tricked into believing he was speaking to Thunberg and her father, Svante.
The daily reported he gave his support to Thunberg and attacked US President Donald Trump for his stance on climate change.
Unfortunately the world is being led by some very sick people so the people like yourselves and younger generation are the ones that are going to make all the difference, the prince reportedly 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.
The Russian pair reportedly also coaxed Harry to discuss his decision to quit frontline royal life as well as to comment on leading politicians.
On British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Harry was said to have added: He is a good man, so you are one of few people who can reach into his soul and get him to feel and believe in you.
But you have to understand that because he has been around for so long like all of these other people, they are already set in their ways.
- 'More normal' -
On his move to North America with wife Meghan and baby Archie, Harry was quoted as saying it was the right decision to be able to protect my son from constant media attention.
It's a tricky one, but we will start a new life, he added.
The Duke of Sussex insisted no one has stripped us of our titles, saying the British press had exaggerated the issue of their future royal status.
We obviously have been asked not to use our titles in order to make money, which we would never do, he said.
The pranksters apparently even managed to steer Harry towards the scandal that has engulfed his uncle Prince Andrew over a friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
I have very little to say on that, the prince reportedly said.
But whatever he has done or hasn't done, is completely separate from me and my wife... we are completely separate from the majority of my family.
Harry is also said to have hinted at tensions inside the British monarchy's inner circle when asked by the hoax callers if normal life was worse than royal life.
Oh no, I think it's much better, he replied, before adding: You forget, I was in the military for 10 years, so I'm more normal than my family would like to believe.
Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by AFP.
Royal sources were quoted as saying by The Sun that it was completely natural for Harry to want to talk to Thunberg.