Prince George will no doubt be feeling excited this weekend as he is just days away from celebrating his 12th birthday. The young royal, who is currently enjoying the school summer holidays, will most likely spend his special day on Tuesday with his nearest and dearest.
As well as getting plenty of presents and cards, George is also expected to have a special birthday cake, with Princess Kate once revealing that it was tradition for her to stay up until midnight baking it. While the day is set to be special for the family, it may also come with some deep considerations for Prince William, 43, and Princess Kate, 43.
This is because as their eldest son, George is second-in-line to the throne, and could now be expected to follow a rule that would change the family’s way of travelling forever.
This is because in the past, those in line to the throne have reportedly not travelled together past the age of 12, especially those who are first and second-in-line such as William and his son.
As reported by People, it is believed this is a measure put in place to ensure the line of succession is not drastically changed too much if there is an accident while travelling.
This was revealed by King Charles’ former pilot Graham Laurie, who said on A Right Royal Podcast in 2023: “Interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince [Charles], the Princess [Diana], Prince William and Prince Harry, up until 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 (the late Queen).”
It is not known whether William and Kate will follow this same rule with George, or whether they will continue travelling together as a family-of-five.
It is also not known whether this rule will apply to Princess Charlotte, 10, or Prince Louis, seven, when they get older.
At the moment, the family are believed to travel together when they go to events or on holidays.
While George, Charlotte and Louis are aware of royal protocols and rules, William and Kate have tried to ensure they also have an ordinary childhood away from the royal stage, which was part of the reason the family relocated from Kensington Palace to a humble Windsor Cottage in 2022.