The Prince and Princess of Wales may have access to private planes, cars, and even helicopters, but they often choose to fly on commercial airlines alongside the general public. They’ve even developed a clever method for maintaining their anonymity during these trips.
In 2015, future king William was seen on a flight from Norfolk to Scotland as part of his training program with East Anglian Air Ambulance. A fellow passenger managed to capture a photo of the royal as he was leaving the plane.
“I never expected to see him on Ryanair, but it was refreshing to see a member of the Royal Family take a cheap flight,” they told The Sun at the time. Fast forward to 2019, William, Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, along with their royal nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, were all spotted getting off the 8:45am FlyBe flight from Norwich to Aberdeen.
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Tickets at the time cost around $73 per person. Now, an expert has shed light on how the royals manage to blend in on regular flights.
Royal correspondent Emily Andrews revealed in Channel 5’s documentary Secrets of the Royal Flight that during their 2014 tour to Australia, William and Kate traveled under the pseudonyms Mr. and Mrs. Smith to avoid drawing attention. Little Prince George, on the other hand, was referred to as baby Jones, reports the Mirror.
The documentary shed light on why the royals typically choose commercial flights over private ones. Emily suggests it’s likely due to the younger generation of royals being “more media savvy” and “attuned to public opinion.”
She also anticipates fewer royals taking private flights, stating: “I think that, for their public duties, the younger royals will continue to travel commercially because it is more cost-effective.”
The Royal Family often chooses British Airways, the nation’s flagship airline. It’s believed that the late Queen didn’t travel on scheduled flights but used chartered British Airways planes for official business.
Princess Kate has a unique connection to the company; her parents Michael and Carole met while working for the airline. In November 2022, William and Kate stirred up excitement in the First Class cabin of a BA flight as they journeyed to Boston for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
A fellow passenger captured the royal couple on their mobile phone, and the photos were shared by Tiffany Chan, a reporter at WBZ. “FIRST GLIMPSE! Passengers on the British Airways flight to Boston said the royal couple was ‘utterly delightful.’ The Prince and Princess of Wales spoke briefly to the others in first class – explaining why they are coming to Boston,” she tweeted.