Experts: The royal protocol Prince William and George may not follow
'It will be very interesting to see whether that's the case with George and William because we know they have travelled together either via plane, helicopter or car.' But this is when Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's Royal Editor, who has been covering the royal beat since 2004, interjected. 'I spoke to the Palace this week,' she said, 'and they were like "Well, it's kind of news to us." 'I get the impression that the family won't be changing their travel arrangements at all.'
Jo Elvin, who hosts the hit YouTube show as well as making regular appearances on ITV's Lorraine, was puzzled by the Palace's response. 'I remember being a kid and my father telling me about that as a bit of royal protocol,' she said. 'It's weird.' 'Yeah,' Richard said. 'They don't like talking about security and talking about travel arrangements. But I have to say, I mean, it's not a very tasteful discussion, but it is the future of our royal family and I personally find it very worrying. Look, after the Wales Family, we have Harry and Meghan!' he exclaimed.
'I'm sure this isn't true but there were some rumours that Meghan had said something about "we're only one plane crash away from being on the throne." 'I am sure she didn't as it's a very tasteless comment but the fact is, Prince Harry and Meghan could be on the throne and that is something, I would say, would be a threat to the future of the monarchy.' Pleading to the Wales Family, he said: 'Come on, even though it's not great for the environment, please put George on a separate flight and a separate helicopter from his father. My understanding is that he would still be able to travel with his mother,' Jo added.
To which Rebecca replied: 'Yeah, but as I say, I don't think the family will change their travel plans at all.' This does not seem to align with the wishes of King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II - both of whom expressed their concerns about the Wales Family flying together. 'Not only do they travel together,' Richard explained, 'Prince William, who is a qualified helicopter pilot, actually flies the helicopter. According to Robert Jobson's book, the King didn't like William flying the whole family and urged him to stop. It is something that Queen Elizabeth expressed her concerns about as well. I think she was always keen to make sure that she did travel separately from the heir-to-the-throne Charles. It is a matter of some importance, I would say,' he added.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams added important historical context as to why this rule was followed so ardently by the late Queen. The experienced royal commentator told MailOnline that the bizarre rule was established following a string of tragic deaths in the family involving aircrafts. 'The unexpected can happen, as with Prince William of Gloucester's tragic death in 1972, though this was in a competition,' Richard said. 'Prince George, Duke of Kent also died in a plane crash in 1942, which has become controversial. Prince Philip's sister, Cecile, died in a plane crash in 1937, giving birth to a stillborn child,' he added.
These tragedies have only served to reinforce the Royal Family's belief in ensuring the heirs travel separately. Richard noted that a similar policy exists across the pond where the President never travels by plane with the Vice-President. Whilst this new royal protocol may be one that the Wales Family choose not to follow, it is just one of many rules George and his siblings are subject to. These include always travelling with a change of black clothes should a member of the family die unexpectedly.
On top of this, they can never eat shellfish while on a royal tour to avoid food poisoning. For more fascinating insights from the Mail's team of unrivalled experts, watch the latest episode of Palace Confidential in full now, subscribe to the Daily Mail Royals YouTube channel and sign up to the FREE Palace Confidential newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment police escorted two drag queens from children's story telling event as angry protesters shouting 'leave our kids alone' confronted them outside
Police have been accused of 'running a taxi service for drag queens' after officers escorted two performers out of a library where they had been running a storytelling event for children. Drag Queen Story Time at Holywood Arches Library in Belfast featured Lady Portia Di'Monte, known as the 'First Lady of Northern Irish drag', and Miss Dora Belle. The ticket-only event was advertised as 'suitable for all ages and families' and to 'champion individuality and inclusivity amongst its young audiences, featuring sing-alongs and dancing.' Lady Portia read storybooks to the children, including family favourites such as Dear Zoo, while Miss Dora Belle narrated them with British Sign Language (BSL). Local parents protested outside the library before the police were called to escort the two drag artists away and appear to have given them a lift home. There were no arrests but Northern Ireland's Communities minister Gordon Lyons has said the event was 'not appropriate for children' and 'should not have taken place'. A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: 'Police attended a report of a small demonstration at the Holywood Arches area of east Belfast on Friday August 1, shortly after 1.40pm and engaged with those present. 'Two people were escorted from the building to further ensure that there would be no breach of the peace. 'At this stage, no offences were determined to have taken place.' Footage of the incident showed at least three police officers attended the library. Protesters called 'shame on you', 'leave our kids alone' and 'you do your thing but leave our kids alone' at the drag artists. Lady Portia confronted the protesters and said they would have been welcome to attended and waved the classic story read to the children, Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. One critic commented on the video and said: 'The police are being used as a taxi service to ferry drag queens'. The incident has sparked a political row in Northern Ireland with critics asking why the police needed intervene. Protesters yelled at the drag queens, who said the protesters would have been welcome to attend. The protesters insisted they were banned The Drag Queen Story Time event has sparked a political row with Northern Ireland's Communities minister saying it 'should not have taken place' Northern Ireland's Communities minister Gordon Lyons has said the event had 'compromised the perception of our public libraries as a welcoming and inclusive space for all as set out in the Libraries NI policy'. He said he has 'directed' his officials 'to liaise with Libraries NI to ensure that policy is faithfully implemented'. While TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said: 'Drag performance, by its very nature, is a sexualised and exaggerated parody of womanhood — rooted in adult entertainment and gender subversion. 'Why then is it considered acceptable for someone best-known for adult-themed performances to adopt the same persona while reading stories to children?'.
BBC News
4 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ozzy Osbourne exhibition in Birmingham extended due to demand
An exhibition dedicated to Ozzy Osbourne has been extended by more than three months due to public Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero exhibition opened at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on 25 June to coincide with Black Sabbath's farewell concert at Villa Park on 5 July. He died two weeks the free exhibition was due to close on Sunday 28 September, but demand from the public has caused the museum to display the exhibition until Sunday 18 January, "to allow for more fans to see [it]".Since the exhibition's opening, the museum has seen over 96,000 visitors through its doors. It will continue to be on display with the support of the Osbourne the wake of Osbourne's death, the museum was home to the official book of condolence for the Black Sabbath frontman, which has now closed. The free exhibition was developed in partnership with Central BID Birmingham and showcases some of Osbourne's most prestigious international including Grammy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame accolades, MTV awards, Hollywood Walk of Fame and Birmingham Walk of Stars honours, and a selection of his platinum and gold is also photography and video that the museum says "chart his journey from 'a working-class kid from Aston' to the world's most recognisable global rock legend".Opening the exhibition in June, Sharon Osbourne said: "I can't begin to tell you how much I love it. Everything has come from this city."She said she hoped the exhibition would inspire young Brummies and make them think: "If Ozzy did it, I can do it too." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills caught in train row with fellow passenger who accused her of taking up too much space with her prosthetic leg
Sir Paul McCartney 's ex-wife Heather Mills has revealed a train passenger accused her of taking up too much space with her prosthetic leg. The former model, who was married to the Beatles legend for six years until 2008, took to Instagram to share the awkward incident. Heather lost her left leg below the knee after being struck by a police motorcycle in London three decades ago and has been an outspoken advocate for amputee rights and prosthetic limb technology ever since her accident. Over the weekend, Heather revealed she was caught in a tense confrontation with a fellow passenger on the train after he objected to her stretching out her legs. Heather, 57, said the man made the comment about her leg, unaware that one of them was prosthetic - the result of her life-changing road accident in 1993. In the video, which was filmed from her seat on the South Western Railway train, Heather wore a red tracksuit and yellow-rimmed glasses. 'This is for everyone who travels on a train and is getting annoyed because of a tall leggy blonde who's having to stretch her leg out,' she began. 'The reason for this is because you can't pull your leg right in because the underneath of the prosthetic cuts into the back of the leg. 'So just think twice before you turn your nose up.' She continued: 'I just literally had a moany man who was asking me to move my leg. I tried to explain and he wouldn't listen. So I took my leg off - and he shut up.' In the video, recorded last weekend, she speaks calmly to the camera, holding up her hand in frustration as she recounts the bizarre exchange. Heather shot to global fame when she married Macca in 2002. The couple divorced in 2008 in a high-profile split that saw her awarded a £24.3 million settlement. Following the divorce, she has focused on her business ventures and activism, including founding a vegan food company and campaigning for animal rights and prosthetic innovation. She is now in a relationship with Mike Dickman, a film producer nearly two decades her junior. The couple were first linked in 2019 and have been seen together on several occasions, often appearing very loved up at public events. Heather has previously spoken of the daily challenges of living with a prosthetic leg, saying that comfort and mobility often require adjustments that the public may not immediately understand. In 2023, Heather was recognised as the fastest disabled female skier on the planet. She clocked in a staggering speed of 102.5mph (164.95 km/h) in Vars, southeast France, in 2015. The successful attempt by the former model was recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records. She began her competitive skiing career in 2010 at the age of 42, two years after her divorce from the legendary Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. Despite her advanced age, she went on to win 4 gold medals at the Skiing World Championship in Aspen in 2012 for the super giant slalom and downhill racing events. Skiing is the fastest non-motorised sport, and professionals can accelerate faster than most road cars. In her attempt, Mills went from a standing start to over 60mph in less than three seconds. On her record-breaking achievement, Heather said: 'I'm delighted to have finally made it into the book!' 'I just hope that this goes a little way to providing inspiration to those out there that have suffered similar injuries to my own and that they are able to use it as a source of inspiration to go on and achieve their own dreams and goals, whatever they may be.'
