After delighting fans on Tuesday night with a surprise father-son outing in Barcelona, a new video has revealed the surprisingly laid-back way the Prince of Wales and his eldest son Prince George travelled abroad.
William whisked his son away on his half-term break from Eton College to support their favourite team, Aston Villa, in a UEFA Champions League showdown against FC Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou on 3 November. Rather than fly on a private charter, as is typical for members of the royal family, William and George kept their trip understated, boarding a commercial flight en route to Spain.
The royals were spotted earlier in the week on what appeared to be a British Airways flight in a video circulating on X (formerly Twitter). William and his son were seen standing up from their seats as they got ready to disembark the plane in the fan-captured footage.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesRoyal fans were also quick to notice that the two seemed to be flying in economy rather than the privacy of first or business class.
Royals flying commercial
© Getty ImagesWhen it comes to tours and engagements abroad, the royals tend to fly on chartered royal jets for security and scheduling purposes. However, the Waleses have been known to take the occasional commercial flight.
William opted for a commercial flight in 2014 from New York to Washington, D.C. when he was heading to the White House for a meeting with President Barack Obama. In 2016, the Princess of Wales flew on a British Airways flight from Rotterdam to London.
William frequently travels with George and his family, but the longstanding royal protocol dictates that heirs to the throne should fly on separate aircraft when travelling. While it's not an official rule, William had to get permission from the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 to allow nine-month-old George to accompany his parents on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
His Majesty The King's former pilot Graham Laurie revealed on HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast that William flew with his parents and brother, Prince Harry, until his 12th birthday in 1994. "After that, he had to have a separate aircraft," Laurie remembered.
© GettyWilliam and George's football outing
Despite the heavy downpour in Barcelona on Tuesday night, William and George still showed up to support their favourite football team from the stands. George was a proud Aston Villa fan in his black athletic jacket with the football team's crest on the chest.
Ahead of the match, FC Barcelona welcomed the royals to the stadium, sharing a photo of William who looked smart in a navy blazer and crewneck sweater underneath.
© Getty"FC Barcelona is honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince George to the Spotify Camp Nou," the post read.
"Thank you for joining us for a special evening of Champions League football featuring your beloved Aston Villa."
