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Prince William repeatedly clashed with King Charles and the late Queen over his insistence on using a helicopter to transport his family across the UK, it has emerged.
An experienced pilot himself, the Prince of Wales, 42, chooses to fly with his three children, all of whom are potential heirs to the throne.
William, who had an extensive military career before retraining as an air ambulance pilot, has refused to back down on the matter, which has been bone of contention with his father and is explored in detail by royal author Rob Jobson.
Revealing in his new biography exploring the life and times of the Princess of Wales, Jobson said: “One recent source of disagreement is William’s stubborn refusal to take his father’s advice on safeguarding the succession.
“Earlier this year, the King had raised concerns with his son about the wisdom of William using his helicopter to fly his entire family around the country.
“An experienced pilot, William had upset the late Queen when he defied her request not to pilot his family the 115 miles from Kensington Palace to Anmer Hall, their home in Norfolk. The Queen, haunted by the 1967 crash that killed the Captain of the Queen’s Flight (although no royals were on board), ‘did not hold back’, one aide said.”
Jobson continued: “After being diagnosed with cancer, King Charles – perhaps reminded of his own mortality – echoed his late mother’s concerns. And when William refused to stop flying with his family, Charles insisted that he sign a formal document, acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions.
Jobson also wryly noted that the issue of succession is more pressing than ever given Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ongoing feud with the royal family.
Despite no longer being a working royal, Harry, 39, remains fifth in line to the throne and would become king in the event of any tragedy impacting William and his family upon King Charles’s death.
“It would be scant consolation, of course, for an unspeakable tragedy, let alone for the prospect of King Harry and Queen Meghan…”
However, while William is currently unwilling to separate his family to travel, this could change next year when Prince George turns 12.
In William’s case, according to one former staffer, it was at this age that he was deemed old enough to travel by himself.
King Charles’s former pilot, Graham Laurie, told OK! magazine: “We flew all four: The Prince, the Princess, 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.
“When William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 out with the other three on.”
George may be separated from his younger siblings under ongoing plans to slim down the monarchy, with some experts speculating that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may not even become working royals.
“The working assumption is that the younger two children will get on and do their own thing. They will be encouraged to not become working royals,” an insider told The Daily Beast.
