Prince George, 10, is likely to be impacted by a major royal rule as early as next year. It’s a custom that previously affected both Prince William and King Charles

Prince George will be impacted by the rule – just as his father was (
Image: PA)

There are many rules and protocols surrounding the royal family, from getting permission for marriage proposals, to never giving an autograph. And now one such regulation is set to impact Prince George – just as it did his father, Prince William.

There is an important royal custom in place to secure the future of the monarchy by restricting who can travel together on the same plane. At present, Prince William is allowed to fly with his three young children – but this will soon change in the years to come.

Speaking on HELLO Magazine’s ‘A Right Royal Podcast’, King Charles’ former pilot, Graham Laurie, opened up about the rule and how it affected a young Prince William when he turned 12 in 1994. George will celebrate his 12th birthday in July next year.

He told the hosts: “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’s likely, therefore, that Prince George will soon be required to fly separately from his father. However, it remains to be seen whether the young Prince will continue to travel with his mother and siblings while his father uses a different plane, or if the second-in-line to the throne will be the one to fly solo.

The unique restriction is in place to protect the heirs to the throne. While the rule can be broken with the monarch’s permission, it is discouraged since, in the event of a crash, the future of the monarchy would be immediately unstable.

Plane crashes rarely happen nowadays, but three royals have previously lost their lives in air accidents. Prince Philip ‘s sister, Princess Cecile died in a crash in 1937, the late Queen’s uncle Prince George, Duke of Kent died in 1942 and her cousin, Prince William of Gloucester died while competing in an air show in 1972.

It’s not the only important travel rule that applies to the Royal Family. Much like his mother before him, the King has a supply of blood and a doctor with him at all times.

Another crucial item that every royal woman must travel with is a black dress. As a rule, all members of the royal family must wear black when mourning as a mark of respect.

When her father, King George VI , died in 1952, the Queen was in Kenya on a royal tour and did not have a black dress packed for her sudden return to the UK. When her plane landed at London Airport, a suitable dress was brought aboard for her to change into before she disembarked.