The Prince and Princess of Wales have access to private planes, cars and even helicopters. But the down-to-earth couple frequently opt to fly on regular airlines alongside members of the public. And they have a special way of helping them travel incognito.
Back in 2015, future king William was spotted onboard a flight travelling from Norfolk to Scotland as part of his training programme with East Anglian Air Ambulance. A fellow passenger managed to snap a photo of the royal as he was disembarking 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.
And in 2019, William, Kate, their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, along with their royal nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, were all spotted disembarking the 8:45am FlyBe flight from Norwich to Aberdeen. Tickets at the time cost around £73 per person.
Now an expert has revealed how the royals manage to slip almost unnoticed onto regular flights. Royal correspondent Emily Andrews told Channel 5’s documentary Secrets of the Royal Flight that on their 2014 tour to Australia, William and Kate travelled under the names Mr and Mrs Smith to avoid attracting attention. Little Prince George, meanwhile, was referred to as baby Jones.
The documentary also pointed out the reason that the royals usually decide to fly commercial instead of private. According to Emily, it’s most likely due to the younger generation of royals being “more media savvy” and “attuned to public opinion”. She also predicted a decrease in royals taking private flights, commenting: “I think that, for their public duties, the younger royals will continue to travel commercially because it is more cost-effective.”
When it comes to their airline of choice, the royal family likes to opt for British Airways, considered the country’s flagship airline. It’s thought that the late Queen would not travel on scheduled flights but instead used chartered British Airways planes for official business. And Princess Kate has an extra special connection to the company; her parents Michael and Carole met while they were both working for the airline.
In November 2022, William and Kate caused a stir in the First Class cabin of a BA flight as they travelled to Boston for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. The royal couple were captured in mobile phone pictures by a fellow traveller – and the images were then 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.
