According to a new book, King Charles and Prince William were at odds earlier this year regarding the safety of the royal family flying in a helicopter.
“Katherine the Princess of Wales: A Biography” by Robert Jobson, which will be out soon, says that the King raised concerns with William about his use of a helicopter with Kate Middleton and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
This led to a heated argument. According to an excerpt from Jobson’s book that was published by The Daily Mail, King Charles discussed his concerns regarding the subject after coming to terms with his mortality following the announcement in February of his cancer diagnosis.
According to the new book, the King even gave William, an experienced pilot, a formal document acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions. During their argument, Charles’s concerns were similar to those of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who, according to Jobson, had previously requested that William not travel with his family on a helicopter from Kensington Palace to his former residence of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, which is 115 miles away. In the new book, an aide talks about how Queen Elizabeth, haunted by the 1967 helicopter crash that killed her flight captain, didn’t hold back on her opinion.
Buckingham Palace does not comment on private discussions or the views of His Highness, but they do consider the safety and security of others while deciding on the most appropriate mode of travel for the royal family. It is also understood that the palace has fully assessed the risk of the family flying together compared to implementing a policy where separate travel arrangements are made for at least one member of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s family.
Elsewhere in the book, Kate, who is currently receiving cancer treatment, is praised for having a stabilizing effect on William, especially regarding tensions between the prince and his father. A source told Jobson that Kate is someone who generally tries to see both sides of any argument and is the emotionally mature one in their relationship. King Charles also values Kate’s positive impact on his eldest son. According to the book, a retainer said, “I believe the King is aware that Catherine has a positive effect on the entire family. He cherishes and truly values all that she does.”