The Queen is reportedly nervous about helicopters, and for good reason. He once flew from Kensington Palace to his home in Norfolk with Kate Middleton and their three children. He is no stranger to machines, however, and according to The Sun, sources close to the queen report that the monarch is urging William to choose another means of transportation with his family.

According to the sources, the Queen is "fearful" that an accident will occur and has had "several conversations" with Prince William about canceling the flight. This comes after an investigation was launched into two accidents involving the Queen's helicopter, one in September when the helicopter was grounded and the other in the same month when the flight was canceled due to bad weather. Her Majesty the Queen has told close friends and courtiers to tell William to stop flying helicopters, especially in bad weather, as they are not the safest means of transportation," a source told the magazine. He added, "This has kept the Queen up at night and she is understandably very worried." [It's not that the Queen doesn't trust Prince William's flying abilities; "the Queen knows that William is a competent pilot." She] thinks it's not worth the risk for all five of them to keep flying together, and she can't imagine what would happen. It would cause a constitutional crisis."

There are usually royal provisions for family travel. In particular, there is a rule that, in case of a worst-case scenario, those in the line of succession may not be on the same plane (or helicopter). This means, in theory, that Prince William, who is next in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, should not travel with Prince George, who is next in line to the throne after him. However, the Queen has given permission to relax these protocols for the sake of William's young children. However, the queen did not intend to relax them to this extent." She thinks the future is bright for them at the helm after Prince Charles, but if something happens to Prince Charles and his family, ...... I can't bear to think about it."

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There have been other close calls involving members of the royal family and helicopters in recent years: in 2019, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was nearly involved in a helicopter accident when the pilot nearly collided with her glider. Camilla was also almost involved in two separate helicopter crashes in 2018.

Let's hope Prince William listens to his grandmother on this one.