King Charles’ former pilot Graham Laurie has revealed that Prince George could soon be subjected to ‘the royal travel rule’.
What is the royal travel rule?
The royal travel rule dictates that the immediate heirs to the throne cannot fly together. It has been in place for decades. However, the royals have flouted this rule in recent years. For instance, when William and George journeyed here to Australia in 2014, over to Canada in 2016, and to European countries Germany and Poland in 2017. William had to request permission from the late Queen Elizabeth II to travel with his son.
So, why can’t royals fly together?
It’s not that members of the royal family can’t fly together; they can. But the immediate heirs to the throne can’t.
It’s slightly morbid, but the heirs can’t fly together in case the plane crashes and they both perish. The rule is in place to ensure the continuity of the monarchy.
However, according to Mr Laurie, it is not enforced until an immediate heir is at least 12 years old.
Can Charles and William travel on the same plane?
Mr Laurie appeared on an episode of Hello Magazine’s A Right Royal Podcast and disclosed that he used to fly King Charles and Prince William on the same aircraft when William was very young.
However, all of that changed when William turned 12.
“We flew all four, the Prince [Charles], the Princess [Diana], Prince William and Prince Harry, up until Prince William was 12 years old,” Mr Laurie said.
“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.
“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.”
To this day, Charles and William can not travel on the same aircraft.
What does this mean for Prince George?
When Prince George turns 12 in July 2025, he likely won’t be allowed to fly with his dad anymore.
The royal travel rule does not affect Princess Charlotte or Prince Louis. They will still be allowed to fly with their father as they are not immediate heirs to the throne.
