This June’s Trooping the Color was a major event as it marked a rare occasion when all the immediate heirs to the British throne were in the same place at the same time. King Charles was joined by his son, next in line to the throne, Prince William, who was in turn accompanied by his three children, Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (9), and Prince Louis (6).
Typically, the Royals are extremely cautious about bringing together everyone who could conceivably take over the monarchy, which is why you’ll only see multiple generations together like this at major events such as weddings or funerals. For that same reason, William and Kate Middleton‘s kids will soon be kept apart when they travel in order to ensure the safety of the line of succession.
Prince William’s children will soon be separated due to incoming Royal ban made to prevent disaster
Thanks to King Charles’ former pilot, we’ve discovered the existence of a key rule when it comes to the Royal family’s travel plans that reveals just how terrified they are that disaster could strike at any moment.
Graham Laurie used to fly the then-Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and the young Prince William and Harry around and he’s now revealed that, once the now Prince of Wales turned 12, he was forbidden from traveling with his brother and the rest of the family. Laurie told Ok! (via GBNews):
“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.”
This Royal rule is not unique to Charles’ children as it’s a widespread ban the family has adopted in order to protect the line of succession. The fear is that the plane could crash, thereby wiping out all the immediate heirs to the throne in one swoop. As for how this affects William and Catherine’s kids, this means that George can continue traveling with his brother and sister and parents for a while yet, but this will change once he turns 12 on July 22, 2025.
It may sound a bit extreme, but actually the Royal family is no stranger to plane crashes. Three Royals have died in three separate incidents over the past century. Prince Philip’s sister, Princess Cecilie, died in 1937, Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle, another Prince George, perished in 1942, while her cousin, another Prince William, passed in 1972.
The Royals are a superstitious bunch who often fear that history’s going to repeat itself, so the incoming ban is maybe not surprising — even if William and Kate’s kids might soon miss their family trips together.