Why do King Charles and Prince William never travel together?
THE Royal Family sometimes has very different rules to the rest of society.
However, some royal protocol seems to be more heavily implemented than others - especially when concerning travel.
Why do King Charles and Prince William never travel together?
Prince William became heir to the throne on the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
As heir, there is an unofficial rule that he should never fly on the same plane as his father, King Charles III.
It is presumed that the unofficial rule dates back years to when travel was thought to be much less safe than it is in modern times.
The rule is actually for the sad reason that if something should happen to the plane, this would put both the King and his heir at risk.
The same unofficial rule also applies to Prince William and Prince Harry travelling together even though Prince William's eldest child, Prince George, is second in line to the throne.
This is because if something were to happen to the Prince of Wales before his son turned 18, Prince Harry, would have to serve as King until George came of age.
Read More on The Queen's death
What other royal protocols are there for King Charles and Prince William?
There is also a rule that no one can fall asleep while the monarch is still awake.
It will be up to King Charles what time the rest of his family can retire to bed as they have to wait for him to go first.
It is also expected that the Royal Family walks in a certain order, according to the line of succession to the throne.
This means that King Charles is expected to walk first, and Prince William should follow behind him.
Most read in Royal
Can Prince William and Prince George travel together?
The unofficial rule means that technically Prince William and his son, Prince George, should not travel together either.
While this is technically true, the rules have been more relaxed in recent years.
Apparently the Queen always had the final say on it and it seems that she had a relaxed approach given that Prince George has travelled with his father on numerous occasions.
In 2014, Prince George travelled all the way to Australia with both his parents.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have travelled on planes with all three of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Read More on The Sun
It is rumoured that when Prince George turns 12 he may have to start flying on a different plane to his father.
King Charles is most likely to have the final say on travel arrangements.
Royal Family roles explained
- Who is and who is and isn't prince or princess in the British Royal Family?
- What is a royal patronage?
- What is a baroness?
- What is an OBE and what does it stand for?
- What is the Order of the Garter?
- Who are the working royals in the British Royal Family?