King Charles Made Prince William Sign Waiver After Dispute Over Helicopter Use
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Prince William, the Prince of Wales, with his father King Charles III. (Jane Barlow/Pool photo via AP, File photo)
In the book “Catherine, The Princess of Wales”, royal expert Robert Jobson details how King Charles expressed concerns to his son, Prince William, about using his helicopter to fly his entire family
King Charles and Prince William were involved in a dispute earlier this year concerning the safety of flying by helicopter, according to a new book.
In the book “Catherine, The Princess of Wales”, royal expert Robert Jobson details how King Charles expressed concerns to his son, Prince William, about using his helicopter to fly his entire family—Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—across the country. This issue reportedly led to a tense disagreement between the father and son.
The book, set to be released soon, reveals that Charles, grappling with his own mortality following his cancer diagnosis announced in February, became increasingly worried about the safety implications of William and his young family.
The King, 75, insisted that William “sign a formal document, acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions,” The Daily Mail reported.
“After being diagnosed with cancer, King Charles — perhaps reminded of his own mortality —echoed his late mother’s concerns. And when William refused to stop flying with his family, Charles insisted that he sign a formal document, acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions,” Jobson writes.
King Charles’ concerns mirrored those of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who had previously advised Prince William, a seasoned pilot with experience in the Royal Air Force’s Search and Rescue Force, against making helicopter trips with his family.
Jobson’s book revealed that William had previously defied similar warnings from Queen Elizabeth. However, the Queen did not hesitate to express her disapproval, influenced by past trauma. Her concern was partly due to the 1967 helicopter crash that killed her flight captain, which left her haunted by the event.
“William had upset the late Queen when he defied her request not to pilot his family the 115 miles from Kensington Palace to Anmer Hall, their home in Norfolk. The Queen, haunted by the 1967 crash that killed the Captain of the Queen’s Flight (although no royals were on board), ‘did not hold back’,” Jobson wrote.
