Prince William and Prince George have been spotted flying together on a commercial aircraft, despite a longstanding royal convention that two direct heirs to the throne should travel separately.
The Prince of Wales and his eldest son were filmed aboard what appeared to be a British Airways flight to Barcelona earlier this week, where they travelled to watch their beloved Aston Villa take on FC Barcelona in the Champions League.
The footage, shared on social media, showed the father and son standing up from their seats as passengers prepared to disembark.
Their decision to travel together is particularly notable given the traditional arrangements surrounding the Royal Family’s line of succession, which have historically discouraged two direct heirs from sharing an aircraft.
William is first in line to the throne, while 13-year-old George is second.
The unwritten convention is intended to protect the succession in the event of an aviation disaster, although it has never been legally binding and has been followed inconsistently over the years.
It is not known whether William sought permission for the journey, but the sight of the two future Kings travelling together is a reminder of the increasingly flexible approach to royal tradition.
A longstanding royal convention
The issue of William and George travelling together has previously attracted attention.
In July 2025, Royal Central reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales were understood to be reviewing the longstanding convention as George approached his 12th birthday.
Former royal pilot Graham Laurie previously explained that William had been required to travel separately from his parents and younger brother, Prince Harry, once he reached that age.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, he recalled: “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.”
The late Queen Elizabeth II had granted permission for William to accompany his parents and brother on overseas tours when he was younger.
George turned 13 in July 2026, meaning he has now passed the age at which his father traditionally began travelling separately from his family.
A commercial flight to Barcelona
The journey also attracted attention because William and George appeared to have opted for a commercial flight rather than a private aircraft.
Royal fans were quick to notice that the pair appeared to be travelling in the main cabin rather than first class.
One social media user commented: “It doesn’t even look like first class.”
Another wrote: “William does as his future people do. Commercial and in economy class.”
The Prince of Wales has previously travelled commercially, including a flight from New York to Washington DC in 2014 ahead of a meeting with then US President Barack Obama.
The Princess of Wales has also been spotted travelling on British Airways.
William and George travelled to Spain during the school half-term break, with the father and son enjoying an evening of football at Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou.
Despite heavy rain, the pair were in the stands to support Aston Villa, with the Spanish club publicly welcoming the royal visitors ahead of the match.
