Prince George may have to follow royal travel protocol after his 12th birthday

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Due to royal protocol reasons, he may soon no longer be able to accompany his family on flights.

When the young prince turns 12 in 2025, he will likely have to follow a royal travel rule that has been in place for decades, according to . The custom secures the future of the monarchy by restricting who can travel together on the same plane – and once an heir to the throne turns 12, he or she must fly separately from all other heirs. , as well as his father, had to adhere to the same protocol.

Former royal pilot Graham Laurie spoke to about the change when Prince William turned 12 in 1994. “Interestingly, we flew all four of us: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William and Prince Harry, until Prince William was 12. After that he needed his own plane and we could only fly all four together when they were young, with Her Majesty’s written permission,” he explained. “When William turned 12 he flew normally in a 125 from Northolt and we flew the 146 with the other three.”

The rule protects the future of the royal family in the event of an accident, but can be bypassed with the permission of the current monarch. And while neither William nor Kate have shared whether or not they will follow the protocol with George, it’s unclear if the young prince will fly alone. There’s a chance he’ll continue to travel with his mother and siblings while William flies on a different plane.

This isn’t the only macabre rule the royals must follow: they must also carry a black outfit in case someone in the family dies while they are abroad. This exact scenario played out in 1952, when Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George, died while on a royal tour in Kenya. When she returned to the UK, a black dress was brought on board so she could quickly change before disembarking the plane.

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