Prince William and Prince George Need Permission From Queen Elizabeth to Do This Together
Prince William and Kate Middleton keep insanely busy schedules as senior working members of the royal family, but that doesn’t keep them from being hands-on parents. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge often travel with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis while performing their royal duties, but that family togetherness presents a unique problem.
Prince George poses for birthday pics taken by his mom
Royal fans fell in love with Prince George all over again when Kate Middleton shared two sweet pics of the future King to celebrate his seventh birthday on July 22. In one photo, the young prince wore a gray polo shirt while flashing a gap-toothed grin. In the second pic, George wore a camouflage shirt while smiling and playing outside at the family’s country home in Norfolk, Anmer Hall.
Prince George looked all grown up in the photos, which were less candid than the ones Middleton shared last year. When George turned six, Middleton posted a pic of her oldest son laughing while laying on the grass at Kensington Palace.
Middleton has made it a tradition to share birthday pics of her children instead of professional photos. The Cambridges have been at Anmer Hall throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, and all three of the children have celebrated birthdays during that time.
Princess Charlotte — who turned five on May 2 — was photographed delivering food packages to nearby residents in need. Prince Louis celebrated his second birthday on April 23 with a paint party.
William and Kate have a ‘modern’ approach to parenthood
It has long been a tradition in the royal family that nannies raise the kids before sending them off to boarding school. Public appearances that include royal children are very prim and proper without showing any kind of affection.
That started to change with Princess Diana and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as cameras caught many more candid moments between them. William and Kate have continued Diana’s “modern” approach. Royal expert Ingrid Seward believes this could change royal tradition in other ways.
Seward says that William and Kate want their children to be happy, which means they might not send their kids to boarding school.
“We are used to seeing members of royalty breaking tradition these days, so it won’t come as much of a shock if they do things their way,” Seward told Spanish magazine Quien? “Kate and William are modern parents and will weigh up the decision very carefully. I think they’ll wait to see how the children’s personalities develop and take into consideration whether or not they would be happy to live away from home.”
Prince William and Prince George still need the Queen’s permission to travel together
Due to the line of succession, royal protocol dictates that the father and son are not allowed to travel on a plane together. While this is not an official rule, having two direct heirs traveling together by plane has been a no-no for decades.
According to Insider, this rule dates back to the days when air travel wasn’t nearly as safe as it is today. The palace created the guideline in place to make sure that the line of succession wasn’t completely destroyed.
The Cambridges have four direct heirs in their family and air travel is much safer in the 21st century. Which is what has lead Queen Elizabeth to be a little more lax.
Back in 2014, Prince William and Kate brought George with them on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. At the time a royal spokesperson told the BBC that they had the monarch’s approval.
“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,” said the spokesperson.
