When it comes to royal protocol, there are a number of rules that members of the monarchy are expected to follow. From how royal women must walk down the stairs to the family members who are required to curtsey, these are usually grounded in tradition and etiquette. However, there are some regulations that are enforced as a matter of safety; on trips abroad, the royal family is banned from eating certain foods and senior members travel with bags of their blood type in case of an emergency.
As some of the youngest members of the royal family, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will soon have to adapt to their future roles, and for George – who is second in line to the British throne – that means changing the way he travels. Traditionally, two heirs are not permitted to fly on the same plane in order to protect the line of succession, and while William and Kate have historically kept their family of five together, the strict travel ban may come into force for George next year.
During an episode of A Right Royal Podcast, Graham Laurie – who previously worked as a royal pilot for King Charles – shared that travel protocol is expected to change for Prince George in 2025. Upon his 12th birthday, the young royal will likely have to follow the long-held royal tradition, meaning that he could be required to fly in a separate aircraft to his family.
Noting that Prince William abided by the same rule when he turned 12 in 1994, Laurie explained: “Interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, 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. 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.”
It is unclear whether Prince William and Princess Kate will follow this protocol in exactly the same way, and if they would both fly with their younger two children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, while George travels separately, or if Kate would join their eldest son as a compromise.