Prince William and Princess Kate's £10,000 menu served on first class flights

The royal family are no stranger to luxury travel, jet-setting across the globe in chartered royal jets and lounging in 'secret' VIP suites before they board - but the Prince and Princess of Wales have also been known to fly on commercial airlines on occasion (first class, of course).

The British royals like to support their own country and tend to fly British Airways when they do fly commercial, with flights known to cost anything up to £10,000 for long haul trips.

If there are no BA flights available, they have been known to travel more economically - Prince Harry and Prince William both flew budget airlines back from their cousin Zara Tindall's wedding in 2011, while the Princess of Wales flew FlyBe with her three children in 2019.

Wherever possible, however, the royals will fly in premium seats when travelling on official royal duties. But what do the royals eat when they're dining at 30,000 ft?

The first-class menu onboard British Airways is described as: "A dining experience featuring signature dishes made with quality British ingredients, delivered with impeccable service."

© British Airways

Dining in first class on BA flights is not far from what the royal family are used to at the palace - each seat is prepared with crisp white tablecloths and silver cutlery, personal salt and pepper shakers and premium glassware, perfect for sipping on the unlimited Champagne available with all boarding passes.

Written on top of BA's fine dining menu reads: "We've worked with top chefs, suppliers, and nutritionists to create 'Height Cuisine'. The result is the finest food and drink that will give you the fullest flavours at altitude," all paired perfectly with a selection of wines.

© Getty

What do the Prince and Princess of Wales feast on en-route to royal tours?

Instagram photos from real-life first-class passengers reveal everything from elegant canapes to fresh scones with clotted cream and jam, a seared fillet of Aberdeen Angus steak and even baked cod with lobster and saikyo miso.

That certainly beats the classic "chicken or beef?" option we're used to!

TikTok creators who have flown first class with British Airways have shared their videos from the airline's most expensive seats - and the food certainly doesn't disappoint.

One travel creator (@handluggageonly) was served smoked duck and asparagus truffle rolls, North Atlantic lobster and a roasted rack of Welsh spring lamb on his flight from Dallas to London.

Despite the Princess of Wales being very accustomed to flying commercial due to her father and mother both working for British Airways, we bet she's been a fan of the luxury upgrade since becoming a royal.

LOVE THE ROYALS? JOIN THE CLUB!

If you are reading this, the chances are you are obsessed with all things royalty – which is just as well because so are we! So obsessed, in fact, we’ve launched a club solely dedicated to covering them. So welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club . We would love you to join us there…

What is it?

Interactive community offering behind-the-scenes access, exclusive royal interviews, unmissable royal insights, and an illustrious royal Inner Circle .

Member benefits

• Two weekly newsletters, one from Emily Nash
• Video posts and audio notes from Emily Nash and the HELLO! Royal team
• Access to our royal community and opportunity to interact with club writers and members
• Participate in polls, comments and discussion threads
• Royal-themed puzzles with a weekly prize to be won
• Access to our Ask Me Anything sessions with our journalists
• Invitations to in-person and virtual events
• A subscription to the digital edition of HELLO! Magazine (Worth £82 annually)*
• Future ‘Inner Circle’ benefits

By royal decree

You are royally invited to join The HELLO! Royal Club – and then to go forth and spread the word to your fellow royal fans. See you in the club!