Fans were delighted by a recent family day out for the Cambridges, as Prince William, Catherine, and all three of their children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – visited an airshow. But one plane must have been extra poignant for the family to step foot on, as it was the very plane that carried the late Queen Elizabeth’s coffin from Edinburgh to London for her historic state funeral in 2022.
- Prince William and Kate Middleton took their three children to visit a C-17 transporter aircraft that was used to carry the late Queen's coffin from Edinburgh to London last September
- It was also revealed that Kate’s grandfather was a pilot who had flown with Prince Philip, decades before she was even born
- In other royal news, the special privilege Queen Camilla won’t receive which Prince Philip did
The Cambridges kicked off the summer holidays with a fascinating and fun day out to an airshow this week.
And while most royal fans were distracted by Kate’s chic blazer as she braved the wind and rain or the adorable family photo shared to social media, there was a moving detail that many might have overlooked.
As the Prince and Princess of Wales delighted in their children’s amusement at the various air crafts and planes, they actually had the special privilege of touring the very plane which carried the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II from Edinburgh to London, ahead of her funeral.
A family day out at the @airtattoo - in the wonderful British summer weather ☔️ Great exploring the C-17 and meeting @usairforce crew. pic.twitter.com/m7vUZGyZXpJuly 14, 2023
Wing Commander Essex, commanding officer of 99 Squadron which operates the C-17 planes, said, “With the prince and princess we were chatting about our roles and with the children we were just showing them around.
“They sat on a little quadbike we had down the back and then they got in the cockpit and sat in the pilots' seats and flicked some switches.”
As well as a touching connection to William’s grandmother, there was actually a special connection for the Princess of Wales’ grandparents, too.
A young teen who spoke with the Princess later revealed she mentioned that her own grandfather was a pilot.
This surprising revelation led to the discovery that Kate’s grandfather, Peter Middleton, was actually thought to have flown alongside the late Duke of Edinburgh decades ago.
Peter Middleton is recorded as a co-pilot during Prince Philip’s two month tour of South America in 1962.
How special for both William and Kate to honor their grandparents by bringing their own children to an airshow that has special connections.
Many lucky visitors will get to tour the aircraft themselves, as around 180,000 people are expected to visit the RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire from Friday for the Royal International Air Tattoo.
As well as its role following the Queen's death, the plane was part of the mission to evacuate refugees from Afghanistan.
