Prince George marked his 12th birthday on Tuesday and it could spark a significant change for the young royal surrounding travel plans.
It’s long thought to have been an unwritten rule that two heirs shouldn’t travel on the same flight.
Former royal pilot Graham Laurie confirmed on an episode of HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast in 2023 that when Prince William turned 12, he began travelling in a different aircraft to his father, then Prince Charles, and his family.
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Speaking about flying with Charles, Diana and Princes William and Harry, Graham recalled: “The ones I did [holiday flights] mainly were the ones when the Wales’ went to the Mediterranean.
“But interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William and Prince Harry, up until when Prince William was 12 years old. After that, he had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together when they were young with the written permission of Her Majesty.
“Nowadays, for instance, the King can’t fly with the Prince of Wales.”
Graham added: “So, what we did in the end, when William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 or the Andover out with the other three on.”
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Will William and Catherine Follow This Royal Travel Rule?
Explaining the reason behind the change when William turned 12, Graham said: “Up until then, they probably thought it would be too much for him travelling on his own. But nevertheless, that’s what they did.”
When asked if William and Catherine will now follow the rule with Prince George not travelling on the same flights as his father, Graham said: “I know the King is trying to cut down cost and is aware of travel, but I think the safety side is still paramount.”
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Over the years, William and George have travelled together on the same aircraft to Australia in 2014, Canada in 2016 and Germany and Poland in 2017.
William is said to have reportedly sought permission from the late Queen Elizabeth for his baby son to accompany him and Catherine to Australia and New Zealand on George’s first ever royal tour.
Significant Year
HELLO!’s Royal Editor Emily Nash points out that George is already set for change in the coming year.
“At 12, George is entering his final year at Lambrook before moving on to secondary school, so this will be a key year for him.
“But William and Catherine have always prioritised giving their children as normal and private a childhood as possible and that is not about to change.”
Speaking about his future destiny as King, Emily adds: “Prince George is second in line to the throne, however, so they will be gently showing him the ropes of royal life.
“We saw that when he joined his parents at the tea party for veterans at Buckingham Palace – it was a great opportunity to introduce George to royal engagements in a familiar place, while surrounded by his family.
“We’ve also seen how George is able to enjoy plenty of experiences that other children his age love – joining his dad to watch the football and going to concerts – even if he did get a VIP meet and greet with Taylor Swift!
“At 12, William stopped flying with his father, as a precautionary measure, to protect the line of succession. It may be that William and Catherine choose to do things differently when it comes to their own family, however.”
