If Prince William is hoping to head out for a low-key father/son trip with Prince George, he might want to do it soon. Like within the next year or so, that kind of soon. Because once Prince George turns 12 in 2025, a longstanding royal rule will prevent father and son from traveling together. So book that wilderness retreat now, Prince William.
Once Prince George turns 12 on July 22, 2025, he will likely be expected to follow the same royal rule his own father did once he was that age. As first and second in line to the throne, Prince William and Prince George will have to fly on separate aircrafts when traveling. Former royal pilot Graham Laurie, who flew King Charles in the past, spoke to A Right Royal Podcast about the change in the monarch’s flying habits when Prince William turned 12 in 1994.
“Interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince [Charles], the Princess [Diana], Prince William and Prince Harry, up until 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,” Laurie explained. “When William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 out with the other three on.”
There could be a very cool way to get around this rule, which was put in place to protect the official line of succession, in Prince George’s future. His dad was trained as a search and rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force in Wales, and Prince George has made it clear that he wants to be a pilot as well. So maybe they can just get cute little matching helicopters and fly side-by-side as I assume all royal fathers and sons would love to do.
Now to be fair, neither Prince William nor Kate Middleton have shared whether or not they will follow this rule with Prince George or his younger siblings, 9-year-old Princess Charlotte and 6-year-old Prince Louis. The couple have been known to eschew some of the more traditional rules for their children in an effort to let them live as normally as possible, which must have been tough for Princess Charlotte as she tends to prefer being a model royal.
If they do decide to follow this rule, they should really consider matching father/son helicopters. It’s terribly chic.
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