Charles speaks plainly The King bans William from flying the royal helicopter
Has there been a row in the British royal family because Prince William still regularly pilots a helicopter? At least that's what the author of a new biography about Princess Kate, the heir to the throne's wife, claims.
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- Could King Charles and his eldest son Prince William be at loggerheads at Buckingham Palace over the latter's fondness for flying the royal helicopter?
- At least that's according to royal expert Robert Jobson, whose biography "Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography" will be published next Thursday.
It has long been known that Prince William likes to sit at the controls of a helicopter.
The heir to the British throne once trained as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force. The 42-year-old then spent three years as a rescue pilot with a search and rescue unit in Wales.
After the birth of his first son Prince George in the summer of 2013, William gave up his job as a helicopter pilot shortly afterwards.
He subsequently continued to regularly take the wheel of a helicopter, which is used by Buckingham Palace to travel to official appointments.
Queen was not thrilled about William's helicopter flights
A fact that not all members of the British royal family seem to be in favor of.
At least that's according to royal expert Robert Jobson, whose book "Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography" will be published this Thursday.
According to the 60-year-old author, William's grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was not enthusiastic about her grandson's hobby and the idea of him holding the lives of his wife Kate and his three children in his hands as a helicopter pilot.
His son's passion gives Charles a stomach ache
According to the British Daily Mail, which was allowed to publish excerpts of Jobson's book in advance, the royal family helicopter flights also caused King Charles more and more stomach ache the longer they went on.
Charles is said to have expressed this clearly to his eldest son.
The Daily Mail quotes the following from Robert Jobson's new biography: "After being diagnosed with cancer, King Charles - perhaps reminded of his own mortality - voiced his late mother's concerns."
Prince William had to sign document
As Queen Elizabeth had done in previous years, Charles once again urged William not to fly his family personally to official appointments in the royal helicopter.
The excerpt from the new biography also suggests that Prince William was initially unwilling to comply with his father's urgent request.
As a last resort, Charles is said to have obliged William to sign "a formal document in which he acknowledges the risks involved and takes full responsibility for his actions".
