The Royal Rule Kate Middleton and Prince William Break All the Time

They break protocol every time they do this.

When it comes to the royal family, it’s all about sticking to the rules and presenting a perfect image to the public. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are known as being very dutiful when it comes to their role in the royal family and how they raise their children. But there is one rule that Prince William and Kate Middleton have been breaking for a while now. These are the etiquette rules everyone in the royal family must follow.

You’ll observe this rule-breaking every time you see them arrive in a new country; the family travels together. A royal family tenet generally prevents so many heirs to the throne from traveling together in case of an accident or crash. It dates back to the early days of air travel when planes weren’t as safe and accidents happened more often. The rule has a similar rationale to the United States’ “designated survivor” rule, which places a presidential cabinet member in a safe location away from the location of the State of the Union, in case a catastrophe occurs which wipes out the bulk of the president’s line of succession.

The first instance of the rule break came back in 2014 when Prince George was set to head off to New Zealand and Australia for a quick tour with his parents. The rule would dictate that Prince George would travel separately from his father, but they all took the same jet. And since then, the family has always traveled together. This rule isn’t the only thing the royals need to keep in mind when traveling—they also have to remember these royal family travel secrets.

Sources:

  • CBS Evening News: Baby’s First Tour: Prince George Travels Down Under with William and Kate
  • Constitution Daily: Why Is There a Designated Survivor for the State of the Union?
  • The Sun: This Is Why Prince William Should Never Travel on the Same Plane as Kate and the Kids