King Charles 'clashed with Prince William' over decision to fly his family of five in helicopter

A new book about the British royals has alleged that the late Queen Elizabeth and King Charles have both clashed with Prince William over his use of a private helicopter to fly his family around the UK.

William, an experienced pilot who served in the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force, has been known to fly his wife the Princess of Wales, and his three children – P rince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – between their homes, and is said to have "upset the late Queen when he defied her request not to pilot his family the 115 miles from Kensington Palace to Anmer Hall" in Norfolk.

© Max Mumby/Indigo

It has also been a "recent source of disagreement" between the King and William, claims royal editor Robert Jobson in his new book , Catherine, The Princess Of Wales, with the author writing that William has refused "to take his father's advice on safeguarding the succession".

The King then insisted William sign a "formal document, acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions".

© Samir Hussein

The late Queen purchased an £8 million helicopter as a birthday gift for William's 32nd birthday but it is alleged she "did not hold back" during their argument, particularly as she remained haunted by the 1967 crash that killed the Captain of the Queen's Flight.

Air Commodore John Blount was killed when he was flying in a Westland Whirlwind that crashed near Newbury, Berkshire in December 1987; three other members of the flight were also killed. Metal fatigue in the gearbox was the cause of the crash.

The Queen did not fly in a helicopter for another decade, and it was reported in 2021 that she was having "sleepless nights" over William's decisions.

© Chris Jackson

Jobson's new book is a look into the role Kate has played in the royal family over the last two decades, and how she has become a mediator between William and his father.

Her childhood has also inspired William to focus on how he is raising his own children, with "a more tactile parenting style than his father ever did" and a desire for his "three children to look back at their childhood with a feeling of being wrapped in love".

"Often, he'll spend quality time with his elder son George , one-on-one, and he seems to relish displaying their close bond to the world," the book reveals.

"George, who insists on dressing like his father when he accompanies him, is even beginning to copy William's mannerisms. If he ever appears awkward or overwhelmed, his dad is always close by to put a protective hand on his shoulder."