Prince George’s heartbreak as his family trips could be set to change forever after he reaches a particular life milestone.

• Prince George could potentially have to travel separately to his father when he turns 12 in a few years’ time.

• It’s claimed that Prince William started having to travel without the rest of his family at this age unless he received Queen Elizabeth’s “written permission”.

• This royal news comes as Meghan Markle’s outfits in Germany were a masterclass in styling this staple item - but it’s a fashion boundary the Princess of Wales is unlikely to push.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are settling back into their school routine after the summer break and it’s thought they spent part of it at Balmoral Castle with King Charles and Queen Camilla. Family is hugely important to the Prince and Princess of Wales, who reportedly share the school run when they can. They’re said to be hands-on parents, balancing life as the future King and Queen Consort with bringing up their children - apparently following the “Middleton model”.

But despite their adorably close-knit dynamic, Prince George could soon find family trips involving a lot more separation than they do now. The ten-year-old is second in the royal line of succession and it could be that Prince George’s family trips will mean him travelling without his father in a few years’ time.

This was the case for King Charles and Prince William - as revealed by His Majesty’s former pilot, Graham Laurie. Opening up on Hello!’s A Right Royal Podcast, as per The Mirror, Graham claimed that Prince William was able to fly with his father, Princess Diana and Prince Harry up until he turned 12 years old in 1994. Traditionally the direct heirs to the throne don’t travel together for safety in case of an incident.

"Interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince [now-King Charles], the Princess [Princess Diana], Prince William and Prince Harry, up until Prince William was 12 years old. After that, he had to have a separate aircraft”.

According to Graham, the only time an exception was made and they could fly “all four together” when the Princes were “young” was if the pilots received the “written permission of Her Majesty”.

“When William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 out with the other three on,” the former royal pilot added.

If Graham’s assertion that Prince William started travelling separately from 12 is correct, then perhaps Prince George only has a few years left before he begins making trips in a different helicopter or plane. It’s also possible that Prince William could begin travelling separately, leaving Prince George to make trips with Kate and his younger siblings as this would still mean the future Kings weren’t together.

This could be especially heart-breaking for Prince George who’s understood to have an incredibly close bond with his dad. So much so that royal expert Duncan Larcombe previously expressed his belief to OK! that Prince William is the 10-year-old’s “hero” and inspired him to wear a suit to watch the football in 2021.

“Prince William is George’s absolute hero. He thinks his dad’s the most perfect person on the planet,” Duncan claimed, before later adding, “George idolises his dad. That’s why we saw him looking so smart in his suit - he really wanted to dress like William.”

Prince George and Prince William have continued to appear together at sporting events since then, including the rugby and cricket, where they’ve showcased some sweet father-son moments.