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How Prince William is breaking a royal rule by flying with son George

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Royal protocol traditionally dictates that direct heirs to the throne avoid traveling together to prevent catastrophic disruptions to the monarchy's leadership. Former royal pilot Graham Laurie noted that William himself was barred from flying with his father after turning 12 in 1994 without written royal consent. Beyond commercial travel, William's habit of piloting his family in helicopters has repeatedly raised alarms among senior royals. Biographer Robert Jobson revealed that King Charles even asked William to sign a formal document acknowledging the risks and accepting personal responsibility.

Key points

  • Flying multiple direct heirs on the same aircraft contravenes established conventions int…: Flying multiple direct heirs on the same aircraft contravenes established conventions intended to protect the royal succession.
  • The late Queen Elizabeth previously objected to William flying his family on helicopter r…: The late Queen Elizabeth previously objected to William flying his family on helicopter routes between Kensington Palace and Norfolk.
  • King Charles required William to sign a formal document acknowledging the operational ris…: King Charles required William to sign a formal document acknowledging the operational risks and taking personal responsibility for family flights.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Prince William has drawn scrutiny for travelling on the same aircraft as his 13-year-old son, Prince George, despite a long-standing royal convention that heirs to the British throne should fly separately to protect the line of succession. The two reportedly took the same British Airways flight to Barcelona last week and travelled together on the return journey as well.

The Prince of Wales and his eldest son reportedly flew together on a scheduled British Airways flight to Barcelona last week during George's half-term break from Eton College. The two also travelled on the same aircraft on their return journey, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

The father and son were in Spain to watch a Champions League match between Barcelona and their favourite team, Aston Villa, at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium. Their decision to take a commercial flight rather than a private jet reportedly drew attention from fellow passengers.

However, the concern centres on the royal convention that senior members of the line of succession should avoid travelling together. The arrangement is intended to prevent multiple future…

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