PublishedJuly 29, 2024, 13:39
Security concernCharles concerns about William not allowed to fly kids himself
Did the British royal family engage in a heated debate over Prince William’s use of helicopters for his family? That’s what the author of an upcoming biography about Princess Kate suggests.
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King Charles (75) has requested his eldest son to refrain from personally flying his family in a helicopter.
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The reason: Royal protocol dictates that heirs to the throne should not travel on the same plane to protect the royal lineage in case of an accident.
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Since Prince William (42) is unwilling to comply with this rule and continues to fly with his eldest son, the king has compelled him to sign “a formal document acknowledging the risks involved”.
Prince William (42) possesses many skills, one of them being an experienced helicopter pilot. He acquired his pilot’s license between 2009 and 2010 in the Royal Air Force, and later served as a rescue pilot with a “Search and Rescue” unit in Wales until 2013. Although he left this risky job after the birth of his first son, Prince George (11), in July 2013, he still regularly pilots a helicopter provided by Buckingham Palace for official trips.
As revealed by author and royal expert Robert Jobson (60) in his upcoming book “Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography”, Queen Elizabeth II was not very supportive of her grandson, William, taking on the responsibility of flying his wife Kate (42) and their children.
William must sign a “formal document”
In an excerpt from the book published in the Daily Mail, Jobson also mentions that Charles III (75) has serious concerns about these helicopter flights with the royal family. “Following his cancer diagnosis, King Charles – possibly confronted with his own mortality – urgently requested his son to avoid personally flying his family in helicopters,” the excerpt continues.
However, the 42-year-old prince seems unwilling to adhere to his father’s wishes. Consequently, the king has mandated him to sign “a formal document acknowledging the risks and taking full responsibility for his actions.”
William flew solo without his family from the age of twelve
Despite the current concern of the King regarding William flying his family as a pilot, royal protocol generally states that heirs to the throne should not share a plane – once the youngest heir to the throne reaches the age of 12. This rule aims to prevent multiple heirs from perishing in the event of a crash, which could jeopardize the stability and future of the monarchy.
Graham Laurie, King Charles’ former pilot, shared with Hello magazine, “Interestingly, all four of us flew: Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry, until Prince William was 12. After that, he had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together with Her Majesty’s written permission,” he recollected.
Soon George will fly independently
Currently, William is allowed to travel with his three children on the same plane or helicopter, but this will change next year, especially for Prince George. Turning twelve in 2025, as the heir to the throne, he will likely need to abide by this rule in the future and fly separately from his father.
It remains to be seen whether George will continue traveling with his mother Kate and siblings Charlotte and Louis while his father utilizes a different aircraft, or if the second in line to the throne will fly solo like his father once did.
With material from Spot On.
PublishedJuly 29, 2024, 13:39
Security risk: Charles worried: William is no longer allowed to fly kids himself
Did the British royal family get into a heated argument over Prince William’s family use of helicopters? At least, that’s what the author of a forthcoming biography about Princess Kate claims.
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King Charles (75) has asked his eldest son to no longer personally chauffeur his family by helicopter.
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The reason: Royal protocol states that heirs to the throne may never sit on the same plane so that the royal line is protected in the event of an accident.
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Since Prince William (42) does not want to comply with this and is travelling with his eldest son, the monarch has obliged him to sign “a formal document in which he acknowledges the risks involved”.
Prince William (42) has many talents, including being an experienced helicopter pilot. He learned the pilot’s trade between 2009 and 2010 in the Royal Air Force, and then worked as a rescue pilot with a “Search and Rescue” unit in Wales until 2013. After the birth of his first son, Prince George (11), in July 2013, he gave up this risky job, but continues to regularly take the controls of a helicopter that is available to Buckingham Palace for travel to official appointments.
As the author and royal expert Robert Jobson (60) reports in his work “Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography”, which will be published on August 1, William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II was not very enthusiastic about the idea of her grandson, as a pilot, holding the lives of his wife Kate (42) and his children in his hands.
William must sign “formal document”
In the excerpt from the biography published by the Daily Mail, Jobson also writes that Charles III (75) also has serious concerns about these royal family helicopter flights. “After being diagnosed with cancer, King Charles – perhaps reminded of his own mortality – has urgently asked his son not to personally chauffeur his family by helicopter anymore,” it continues.
However, the 42-year-old is reportedly not prepared to comply with his father’s request. As a result, the monarch has obliged him to sign “a formal document in which he acknowledges the risks involved and assumes full responsibility for his actions.”
William flew without his family from the age of twelve
Although the King is currently concerned about the possibility of William flying his family as a pilot, royal protocol generally states that heirs to the throne may never sit in the same plane – once the youngest heir to the throne has turned 12. In the event of a crash, several heirs to the throne should not die at the same time, as such an accident would endanger the stability and future of the monarchy.
“Interestingly, all four of us flew: Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry, until Prince William was 12. After that, he had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together with Her Majesty’s written permission,” Graham Laurie, King Charles’ former pilot, told Hello magazine. “When William turned 12, he flew out of Northolt in a 125 as normal and we flew out in the 146 with the other three,” he recalled.
Soon George will have to fly alone
William is currently allowed to travel with his three children in the same plane or helicopter, but this will change next year, especially for Prince George. He will be twelve years old in 2025. As heir to the throne, he will therefore probably be affected by this rule in the future and will have to fly separately from his father.
It also remains to be seen whether George will continue to travel with his mother Kate and his siblings Charlotte and Louis while his father uses a different aircraft, or whether the second in line to the throne will fly alone like his father once did.