Sharp words for William after he defied advice on risky copter f light
THE LATE Queen had ‘sharp words’ with her grandson Prince William after he defied her wishes by taking a helicopter flight with his wife and children, according to a new book.
Our King by Robert Jobson claims Queen Elizabeth warned William against flying with his eldest son Prince George because of her fears of a tragic accident that would threaten the future of the monarchy.
Under unofficial protocol, Prince William, as heir to the throne, should never be on the same flight as his father or children. But, as an accomplished helicopter pilot who served in RAF and with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, the then Duke of Cambridge was known to have flown his family on the 115-mile trip from Kensington Palace to Anmer Hall, their country home in Norfolk.
Mr Jobson writes that as Queen Elizabeth’s reign drew to a close, she ‘drew great comfort’ that her son Charles and grandson William were ‘well qualified’ to succeed her and that the birth of Prince George helped ensure the future of the monarchy.
‘Which was why she had sharp words with William after he defied her wishes by taking a helicopter flight to Norfolk with all his immediate family,’ Mr Jobson writes.
‘She had warned him against flying with George in case of an accident, telling her grandson he always had to be aware of the succession.’ It was reported in 2021 that the Queen was still haunted by a helicopter accident in December 1967 near Newbury, in Berkshire, which killed Air Commodore John Blount, Captain of the Queen’s Flight, and three others. Meanwhile, Mr Jobson’s book also reveals how King Charles dotes on William’s children, who call him Grandpa Wales.
‘When he reads to them, doing the voices of all the characters, he has them spellbound; they particularly enjoy the Harry Potter books,’ Mr Jobson states.
Charles is understood to have formed a particularly close bond with Prince Louis, who will be five later this month.