Prince George, 11, Is Already Learning to Fly
The young royal seems poised to follow in his family's footsteps.
This little prince is ready to take flight.
Prince George might only be 11, but the pre-teen is already looking to the skies, just like his father, Prince William.
According to The Sun, the Prince and Princess of Wales treated George to his first flying lesson before he started school on Sept. 4—and they brought him to a place steeped in royal history.
Prince George took his first flight at Waltham Airfield in Berkshire, England, the same place where his great-grandfather, Prince Philip, trained as a pilot years ago.
One onlooker told The Sun that the pre-teen "flew with an instructor and loved it" while proud parents Prince William and Kate Middleton "watched George take flight from the safety of the ground."
The prince's lesson took "just under an hour," per the outlet. “He loved it. It’s the right time to start," a source added.
Per The Sun, George and his parents also visited the airfield's clubhouse, with a witness describing them as "pretty chilled."
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While Prince William, Prince Harry and King Charles are all trained pilots, George is getting a head start on his lessons by hitting the skies at such a young age.
The Prince of Wales, who worked as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, didn't begin training until he entered the Royal Air Force.
And Prince Philip was in his thirties when he started lessons at the same airfield, so it seems the tween has quite the leg (or wing) up on the rest of his family.
It's been a busy week for Prince George's family after his mother released a deeply personal video announcing she'd completed chemotherapy treatment for her undisclosed form of cancer.
And on Sept. 12, dad Prince William revisited his military roots when he watched Royal Air Force cadets graduate from the same aviation school where he earned his wings in 2008.
Perhaps Prince George can take his parents up for a spin in due time.
Kristin Contino joined Marie Claire as its Senior Royal and Celebrity editor in 2024. She's covered major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation over the years, placing a particular focus on the British royal family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.”
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