Are Prince William and Kate Middleton in hot water with Queen Elizabeth? The Cambridge’s broke royal protocol this week, which may raise the ire of her majesty. Let’s learn about the infraction and what’s really going on.
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Queen Elizabeth’s Rules
There’s an unofficial rule in the royal family: heirs to the throne should not travel together. Once an heir turns 12 years old, they’re responsible for getting themselves from here to there. The rule exists for the same reason all heirs to the American Presidency cannot be together at the same time. This way, should something horrible happen, there’s always an immediate heir to be found.
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Even before the person turns 12, traveling together is discouraged. In 2014 William needed to get permission from Elizabeth to board a plane with Prince George. Elizabeth accused, with the royal press office saying, “While there is no official rule on this, and royal heirs have traveled together in the past, it is something that the Queen has the final say on.”
Kids Are Getting Older
Earlier this year, William and Middleton allegedly raised Elizabeth’s ire when they chose to ride in a helicopter as a family. Not just once: all the time. William is a licensed helicopter pilot and got really comfortable moving his family to and fro. The Sun reported that Elizabeth and William had several conversations at the time surrounding William’s judgment.
Are helicopters really safe? And is it smart to fly with George in tow? William adhered to her concerns… for a little while anyway.
This week, Middleton and William once again find themselves in the dog house for continuing to fly with multiple heirs on board. Per InStyle, one royal expert says, “This week, they were seen boarding a helicopter in the back area of Kensington Palace as they enjoy a short holiday. This left the queen concerned. It is a royal protocol for people to travel in separate aircraft for very obvious safety reasons.”
When Middleton and William return, they may be in for an earful. The expert says, “They will be summoned to Windsor to explain the cause of their actions.”
Is Any Of This Legitimate?
As always with royal news, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt. Elizabeth’s primary focus is her health, so this breach in protocol may go unnoticed. Since she gave her blessing in 2014; it should be fine for William to travel this way. George turns 12 in three years, at which point we can expect him to begin traveling without his father.