Photo: British Ministry of Defense
Just because you’re a member of the British Royal Family doesn’t mean you get to choose your favorite mode of transport and use it as you will. Queen Elizabeth still has a saying in this type of decisions and, according to a new report, she’s close to “banning” Prince William from flying by helicopter.
Like with heads of states, Royal life is governed by a set of very strict rules. Among them is the unwritten rule about how senior members of the Royal Family should not fly together on the same aircraft, on the same principle as why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in the same basket. Should the worst come to happen, succession must not be threatened greatly.
According to The Sun, this rule has been relaxed in recent years, with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, often flying with his family even over short distances. Moreover, as an experienced pilot, he’s regularly at the controls, which, according to an unnamed tipster, is keeping the 95-year-old Queen up at night.
Prince William is the second in line to the throne, after his father Prince Charles; William’s firstborn son, Prince George, is third. The Queen believes that helicopters aren’t the safest means of transport, and she would very much like William to stop putting the monarchy in peril like that.
“She knows William is a capable pilot but does not think it is worth the risk for all five of them to carry on flying together and can’t imagine what would happen,” a Royal insider tells the tab. “It would spark a constitutional crisis.”
If true, the Queen’s concerns are legitimate, because a fatal crash would completely alter the succession line. She could also raise the issue of the Cambridges’ carbon footprint, since they’ve been known to fly by helicopter from Kensington Palace to their home at Anmer Hall, Norfolk, which is only 115 miles (185 km) away.
Prince William served as an RAF search and rescue pilot, and a pilot with the air ambulance for several years before giving up his “day job” to be a full-time senior Royal. It’s only recently that the Queen allowed senior Royals to fly with their children, and it sounds like she’s regretting the decision.
According to The Sun, this rule has been relaxed in recent years, with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, often flying with his family even over short distances. Moreover, as an experienced pilot, he’s regularly at the controls, which, according to an unnamed tipster, is keeping the 95-year-old Queen up at night.
Prince William is the second in line to the throne, after his father Prince Charles; William’s firstborn son, Prince George, is third. The Queen believes that helicopters aren’t the safest means of transport, and she would very much like William to stop putting the monarchy in peril like that.
“She knows William is a capable pilot but does not think it is worth the risk for all five of them to carry on flying together and can’t imagine what would happen,” a Royal insider tells the tab. “It would spark a constitutional crisis.”
If true, the Queen’s concerns are legitimate, because a fatal crash would completely alter the succession line. She could also raise the issue of the Cambridges’ carbon footprint, since they’ve been known to fly by helicopter from Kensington Palace to their home at Anmer Hall, Norfolk, which is only 115 miles (185 km) away.
Prince William served as an RAF search and rescue pilot, and a pilot with the air ambulance for several years before giving up his “day job” to be a full-time senior Royal. It’s only recently that the Queen allowed senior Royals to fly with their children, and it sounds like she’s regretting the decision.
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