Queen Elizabeth II has told her courtiers and friends that she wants Prince William to stop flying helicopters, fearing that an accident may trigger a constitutional crisis, The Sun reported, citing a source close to the monarch. According to the insider, thoughts about the Duke of Cambridge and his family being involved in an accident "keeps the Queen awake at night and she is understandably very worried".
"The Queen has told William she is worried that, however good he is as a pilot, bad weather and accidents can strike at any time. She knows William is a capable pilot but does not think it is worth the risk for all five of them to carry on flying together and can’t imagine what would happen", the source told the newspaper.
The Queen has reportedly held several conversations with the duke on the issue.
Prince William is a skilled helicopter pilot, who completed a training in the Royal Air Force in 2010. He has participated in several rescue missions, and between 2015 and 2017 he worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
An unwritten rule states that senior members of the royal family must not travel together. A potential accident with fatal consequences can lead to uncertainty in the monarchy. William is second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, 73. The duke’s children – Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3 – are third, fourth, fifth in line to the throne, respectively.
The palace relaxed royal protocols after Prince William’s family grew bigger, allowing the royal to travel with his children, but now the Queen is said to have changed her mind and wants the royal to find a less dangerous means of transport.
An unwritten rule states that senior members of the royal family must not travel together. A potential accident with fatal consequences can lead to uncertainty in the monarchy. William is second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, 73. The duke’s children – Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3 – are third, fourth, fifth in line to the throne, respectively.
The palace relaxed royal protocols after Prince William’s family grew bigger, allowing the royal to travel with his children, but now the Queen is said to have changed her mind and wants the royal to find a less dangerous means of transport.
"She thinks the future is bright with [William, Kate, and their children] at the helm after Charles but if something happened to him and the family it doesn’t bear thinking about", the source told The Sun.
If an accident occurs, Prince Harry and his children – Archie and Lilibet – would be elevated in the line of succession.
According to the UK media, the news about Queen Elizabeth issuing a warning to Prince William sparked a surge in searches for "King Harry" on the Internet.
Judging by posts on social media, many in the British public don’t want to see the Duke of Sussex at the helm of the monarchy.
Judging by posts on social media, many in the British public don’t want to see the Duke of Sussex at the helm of the monarchy.
Members of the UK royal family have been involved in several near misses. In 2017, a helicopter carrying Sophie Countess of Wessex flew within 500 feet of a glider. In 2019, Prince Charles' wife Camilla was involved in a near-miss when the helicopter she was travelling in came within nine seconds of hitting a plane carrying parachutists. That same day, the helicopter almost collided with a glider during landing.
According to The Sun, in 2018, Prince William was planning to fly on the same helicopter that crashed and killed the owner of the English football club Leicester City.
According to The Sun, in 2018, Prince William was planning to fly on the same helicopter that crashed and killed the owner of the English football club Leicester City.