Prince William, Charlotte forced to leave behind George after new order
Prince William had a special companion tagging along with him to watch the Euro final in Switzerland on Sunday.
Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, was beaming when she arrived at the St Jakob-Park stadium to watch women’s England team go up against Spain.
The father-daughter duo was immersed in the nail-biting match and were bursting with happiness when the Lionesses finally claimed the trophy. This was the first time Charlotte had accompanied her father when it is usually the eldest Wales child, Prince George, who accompanies the Prince of Wales.
However, the Sunday appearance was now a clear indicator of how the strict royal protocol has been implemented. Last week, Prince George marked not only marked his 12th birthday but also the official commencement of his training to be the future monarch.
Longstanding royal rules dictate that two heirs to the throne will not be flying together as a ‘precautionary measure’ to protect the line of succession in case of tragic accident. The rule is implemented once the heir turns 12.
The same protocol was applied to Prince William when he marked his 12th birthday. The change is not only a significant milestone for George, but it also has an impact on the whole Wales family. Prince Louis was left behind since he is still seven – the age for the children to make appearance at sporting events is eight, set by the William and Catherine.
Recently, Prince William, Kate Middleton were joined by George and Charlotte to watch the Wimbledon final last month. Since the sporting event takes place in London, there was no issue with the family appearing together.
Hence, it was acceptable by protocol that William travelled with Charlotte instead of George. Otherwise, King Charles would have had to sign a special permission for the trip.