Prince George and Princess Charlotte likely to be separated next year for safety reasons as the prince approaches his 12th birthday
Princess Charlotte and Prince George are set to be separated next year due to royal protocol, reported GBNews.
According to tradition, heirs to the throne are not permitted to travel on the same flight starting at age 12. This means that 11-year-old George will no longer be able to travel with his parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine, as well as his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.
As the eldest child of Prince William and Princess Catherine, George is second in line to the throne, while Princess Charlotte is third. Historically, the Prince and Princess of Wales have occasionally broken these rules, allowing George and Charlotte to join them on overseas tours.
George accompanied his parents on trips to Australia in 2014, Canada in 2016, and Germany and Poland in 2017. Notably, Prince William sought permission from the late Queen for George to travel with him and Kate during their visit to Australia and New Zealand.
Once George turns 12, he will travel separately from the rest of the royal family, following the established protocol. As it stands, he will also never fly with the King, reinforcing the importance of maintaining a level of separation among heirs to the throne.
Former royal pilot Graham Laurie previously told Hello!: "I know the King is trying to cut down cost and is aware of travel, but I think the safety side is still paramount."
"Interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William and Prince Harry, up until when 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.
"What we did in the end, when William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 or the Andover out with the other three on.
"Up until then, they probably thought it will be too much for him travelling on his own. But nevertheless, that's what they did."
