Royal rule that means George will have to travel separately to William and Kate

15 December 2023 , 23:00

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Prince George watches an RAF flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Coronation of King Charles III (Image: Getty Images)

The late Queen Elizabeth established a convention that meant the first in line to the throne must travel separately to other family members.

And now that Prince George is close to reaching a milestone birthday he may have to take up separate travel arrangements, in the same way his dad did when he turned 12. The family has always tried to remain together when on trips together, whether it be a local afternoon at Wimbledon (casual), or getaways to locations further afield such as Berlin and Jordan.

But now that all-important date is approaching for George, it is likely the family are going to have to toe the royal line and make alternative arrangements for the king in waiting. This is because should an unlikely tragedy take place with the Wales’s travelling together, the prospect of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle becoming King and Queen is a very a real prospect.

According to Cosmopolitan, while over the years, we've seen Will, Kate, George, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, travel together, including recently, with Prince William being motored to Westminster Abbey for a carol service accompanied by Kate and their children, it is unlikely the royal household will allow this to continue.

And it is down to a tradition established by the late Queen, where heirs to the throne (William is first in line while George is second) don't travel together for safety reasons. As revealed by His Majesty’s former pilot, Graham Laurie during Hello's A Right Royal Podcast, he explained that Prince William was allowed to fly with King Charles, Princess Diana, and Prince Harry up until his 12th birthday in 1994.

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He said: "We flew all four, the Prince, the Princess, Prince William and Prince Harry, up until when 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. So, what we did in the end, when William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 or the Andover out with the other three on."

However, should tragedy strike, the Duke of Sussex would become heir apparent, and the Duchess of Sussex could take the title Princess of Wales, while Prince Andrew would also move up the line of succession. And despite the family sometimes skipping the provision, when Prince George turns 12, he will have to travel separately from other members of the royal family, with no exemptions.

Paul Donald