Princess Catherine and Prince William follow some unusual rules as senior royals but there’s one that has been called “totally shocking”. When travelling, there are a number of protocols in place to ensure the safety of the royals.
A former British Airways flight attendant and ex-Love Island contestant, Helena Ford, has revealed on the Private Parts podcast that the Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t allowed to fly in the “highest cabin” available. Speaking to Hello! Magazine, she said: “I think there is a thing in place where they can’t fly in the highest cabin, so if there’s a first class, they have to sit in business, and if there isn’t a first class, they have to sit in Traveller Plus.”
She said that on a flight she worked on, William and Catherine were seated in business class.
Discussing how security works for the royals when they are travelling on commercial flights, she said: “When we had Will and Kate, it was in Business because we had First—but the whole of Business was security dressed as normal people, so you wouldn’t know.”
According to the Royal Observer, British Airways is the first choice for the royals when it comes to travelling.
Ford went on to add that she didn’t know why the royals could not sit in the highest cabin.
Speaking about the flight arrangements for well-known figures further, she added: “So I’ve had Boris Johnson on a flight in Traveller Plus before. They can’t sit in the highest cabin.”
She also said “they all have fake names,” when they are flying in this way.
There are also apparently rules in place to ensure that senior royals travel separately, in case anything unfortunate happens while they are on their journey.
However, Wales family have been travelling together in recent years because it isn’t economical or cost-effective to use two aircraft every time they travel.
A royal spokesman reportedly said in 2014: “While there is no official rule on this, it is something that the Queen has the final say on.”