It seems that the British royal family has an inexhaustible list of rules and protocol to follow. Prince William Kate Middleton would like to do go on vacation, but they can’t do it without breaking one lesser-known one. Here’s what they’re asking for and why.
Secret Vacation
Middleton and William have a problem: they’d like to go on vacation with their three children, but they’re weighed down by centuries of rules. One of these rules is that the heirs will inherit the throne cannot travel together. This means William isn’t allowed to travel with his father, nor can he take the same train or plane with his son George.
It is obvious that should anything tragic happen, there would always be another person who could take over. The Presidential line of succession is a similar rule in the United States. One cabinet secretary is never present at the State of the Union. kept in a secure location. They’re called the “designated survivor.” This means just in case the rest of the line gets wiped out by a tragedy, there’s still one more official out there somewhere ready to be sworn in.
Anyway, as you’d imagine, not being able to travel with your young son can pose a bit of an issue. Middleton and William have asked Queen Elizabeth for permission so they can fly together. In 2014, Queen Elizabeth granted the permission so that baby George could travel to New Zealand. However, this exception doesn’t last forever. Once George turns 12 in 2025, he’ll have to travel on a different plane than his father.
There are still some rules from the past
It can be a difficult conversation to have to explain to your son why he needs to fly his own plane. But it is not as bad as the one Prince Harry could have with his son. The 2013 royal succession act would mean that baby Archie would need to ask his reigning monarch, whether it be Elizabeth, Charles, William, or George, for permission before he can get married.
A New IdeaThe absurd story about Meghan Markle traveling to the UK to ask Middleton to lift the statue was circulated. However, it was faked. Archie’s not getting married for another few decades. He’ll only have to get royal clearance if he stays in the top six in the line of succession, so an additional child for William or even George would bump him down.
Laws and Prerogatives
Tabloids love obscure royal rules. Woman’s DayOnce cited a 1717 statute to claim that Prince Charles would have full legal custody over Archie once he is crowned. This wasn’t a law at all, however. It was an archaic royal prerogative, and would therefore have high implications in the 2020s. Can you imagine the international scandal that Charles would cause if he tried to take Archie from his parents? That’s a very bad look, to say the least.
Here’s hoping William and Middleton can dot the requisite “i’s” so they can travel with their son on vacation.
