The Princess of Wales says Prince Louis wants to fly planes

The Princess of Wales has revealed that Prince Louis currently has his heart set on being a pilot when he’s older.

On a visit to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, Kate said that her youngest really wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps and get behind the controls of a plane. Prince William served as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot for four years and then as a pilot for the air ambulance.

However, it was the Princess who got to try out a flight simulator during her visit and she impressed her teachers who called her a ‘natural’.

Group Captain Paul O’Grady said ”She seems to be a natural pilot, so we might have to get her qualified in a Typhoon, if she’s up for it.”

Kate said she was taking a different message home to her three children, noting that ”I’m going to tell them it takes eight years and a lot of hard work.”

This was the first visit that Kate has made to RAF Coningsby since she became Royal Honorary Air Commodore in 2023.

And as well as impressing with her flight skills, Kate added another string to her bow after viewing the cockpit of a Typhoon. The Princess of Wales didn’t miss a beat as she effortlessly descended the ladder to the ground backwards and in heels. Ginger Rogers would be proud.

The Princess met families living on the base and spent time in the area dedicated to wellness, the Lounge, where she spoke to the welfare team about their work.

The focus of this visit was on preparedness as the Princess of Wales was shown aircraft on standby to respond to threats to airspace in the UK.

She viewed some of the aircraft and a brand new training facility. Kate was also told about ongoing operations involved personnel from RAF Coningsby.

And while Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George missed out on trying out the flight simulator and on climbing to the cockpit of a plane, they did get model Typhoons as gifts, presented to the Princess as she left.