Prince George's life will change in a week when he will have to be separated from his father and sister.
Born on July 22, 2013, George Alexander Louis is the eldest child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Known formally as Prince George of Wales, the young royal is second in line to the British throne, right behind his father. And because of that, his life is beginning to look more like that of a future king, starting with how he travels.
Once a royal reaches the age of 12, they are expected to stop flying with the immediate heir to the throne, a move designed to protect the line of succession in case of an aviation disaster.
That means George will soon be separated from his dad and younger siblings when it comes to air travel.
The tradition isn’t new. Back in 1994, Prince William faced the same change when he turned 12.
King Charles' former pilot, Graham Laurie, explained how the rule worked during an episode of HELLO Magazine's A Right Royal Podcast.
“We flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William, and Prince Harry, up until Prince William was 12 years old," Laurie said.
“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,” he added.
While it may sound like an outdated or even bizarre protocol, the rule is rooted in tragic royal history.
Several members of the royal family have died in plane crashes over the years, including Prince Philip’s sister, Princess Cecilie, in 1937, Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle, Prince George, in 1942, and her cousin, Prince William of Gloucester, in 1972.
Because of this, precautions are heavily encouraged, though not strictly mandatory.
The reigning monarch can still override the tradition with special permission, which means Prince William and Kate could request that George continue flying with the rest of the family. However, it’s unclear if they’ll choose to do so.
If the rule is enforced as it has been in the past, Prince George may soon have to travel separately from his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
In that case, William could take a different plane, or George might fly alone, depending on the arrangement.
This transition marks a significant moment in the young royal’s life, and it comes as Prince George has been stepping into more public-facing roles.
Over the past year, he’s made appearances at high-profile events including Wimbledon, the Trooping the Colour parade, his mother’s annual carol concert, and even accompanied Prince William to meet World War II veterans.
He also sat beside his family in the royal box during the Men’s Singles Final at Wimbledon, watching Italy’s Jannik Sinner defeat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Last summer, he joined his father at the Euros final, where England lost to Spain.
The young Prince can often be found alongside his father at Villa Park as both the royals are big fans of Aston Villa Football Club.