Although Prince George is only 11 years old, he may soon be affected by a strict royal rule that is typically a concern only for high-ranking members in the line of succession. Reports suggest that at age 12, Prince George will apparently lose the royal privilege of traveling with his father, Prince William. Former pilot to King Charles, Graham Laurie, has previously claimed that Prince William stopped flying with King Charles at the age of 12. According to Graham, after Prince William turned 12, he “was required to have his own plane,” and they “could all fly together” (Charles, Diana, William, and Harry) when the princes were young, “only with written permission from Her Majesty.”
It is believed that this royal rule exists to protect the monarchy, as having two direct heirs traveling separately helps minimize the risk if something were to happen. Conversely, if they were to fly together and the plane crashed, both heirs could potentially be lost. Until now, Prince George has had the privilege of traveling with his entire family, undoubtedly with the late Queen Elizabeth’s permission. When he was just nine months old, he traveled to Australia and New Zealand with Prince William and Kate during their 2014 tour. They were also seen disembarking from a plane together in Germany in 2017.
It is quite logical that an exception was made due to Prince George’s young age. It is also possible that after he turns 12, the Prince and Princess of Wales may seek King Charles’ permission for their son to travel with them in certain cases, if not on a regular basis. Only King Charles can grant permission for Prince George to continue flying with his father after he turns 12.