Prince George can no longer travel by plane with his father

Prince George of the United Kingdom is celebrating his 12th birthday on Tuesday. However, from this age, a well -known tradition in the British monarchy resurfaces: in theory, the eldest son of Prince William – currently second in the order of succession to the throne – should no longer travel on the same plane as the other direct heirs, including his father.

This practice, which has no legal basis, is a historical precautionary measure aimed at protecting the continuity of the monarchy.

The idea is to prevent several direct heirs with the throne – like Prince William and his son George – are together aboard the same device, in the event of an accident, from what reports The Daily Beast.

However, this “rule” is widely considered an unwritten tradition rather than a strict protocol, according to royal experts, encountered by the American weekly magazine Us Weekly.

Prince William has also caused concern to King Charles III when he piloted the royal family helicopter with, on board, two generations of future monarchs, from what the specialist of royalty Robert Jobson said in biography Catherine, princess of Walespublished in August 2024.

Now that George is 12 years old, it remains to be seen if this practice will be more respected or if flexibility will prevail over tradition.

The former pilot of King Charles III, Graham Laurie, however said during an interview granted to A Right Royal Podcast That Prince William had stopped traveling with his father when he had reached this age.

“After that, he had to have a separate plane and we could no longer have them flying all four, [Charles, William, la princesse Diana et le prince Harry]together with the authorization of His Majesty when they were young, ”explained Mr. Laurie. “At 12, William normally flew in a 125 from Northolt and we, with the other three, in the 146.”

According to information obtained from word of mouth by the Us WeeklyPrince William should respect tradition, although no official declaration has been made on this subject.

Several members of the royal family have already died during trips by plane. This was notably the case of Prince George, Duke of Kent, in 1942, and Prince William de Gloucester in 1972.