Prince George, 11, Reportedly Follows in Prince William’s Footsteps With 1st Flying Lessons

Prince George appears to be following in his father, Prince William’s footsteps.

An eyewitness revealed to U.K.’s The Sun that George, 11, had completed his first flying lesson at the Berkshire airfield in England last week, just before he headed back to school. The publication reported that William, 42, and his wife, Princess Kate Middleton looked on as their eldest son continued the royal family’s tradition of flying.

Us Weekly has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.

George’s interest in flight presumably comes from William, who joined the Royal Air Force as a flight lieutenant in 2009. The following year, the Prince of Wales became a helicopter pilot with the Search and Rescue Force, a job he held until 2013.

Prince George’s Royal Life in Photos: Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Son Through the Years

During William’s military stint, he lived at the RAF Valley on Anglesey Island in North Wales. Kate, 42, joined him on the island ahead of their April 2011 duties as he completed his pilot duties.

William returned to Anglesey in July and felt a sense of “nostalgia” about the trip, he said at the time. That was the first time William had returned to his former RAF Valley home since King Charles III bestowed him with the honor of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps this past May.

In a controversial move, Charles, 75 gave the honor — which would have been passed on to Prince Harry — to his eldest son. (Harry, 39, and his wife, Meghan Markle, left the royal family in 2020 making him ineligible for the new title.)

Prince William and Princess Kate’s Sweetest Moments With Their Kids

Earlier this year, Charles and William traveled to the Army Aviation Centre in Stockbridge, Hampshire, England to celebrate the new Colonel-in-Chief. They posed with members of the corps and royal watchers. At one point, the two even posed in front of a military helicopter as Charles gave William the air corps’ belt and light blue beret for his new role.

While it’s unclear what the future holds for George in terms of his military career, it seems he’s getting a jump start with the reported flying lessons. As next in line to the throne, George is gearing up to become the king one day and preparing him is “a hard job” for William and Kate. (They also share daughter Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6.)

The couple is “gradually” introducing aspects of the royal family into George’s life, royal author Robert Jobson told Us Weekly exclusively last month. They “don’t want to freak him out.”