What to Know
It stands to reason that commercial travel would be especially challenging for members of the royal family, if not an all-out security threat. Imagine trying to board your plane (or get anywhere in the airport) on time if Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their entourage were in the terminal, causing complete chaos.
But there are still more environmentally friendly ways to travel while also remaining safe, and now that the royals’ helicopter usage over the past year has been made public, they are facing some serious backlash from the public.
A new report about the helicopters the royals are leasing was published earlier this week.
A royal treat for Year 6! 👑🚁
— Merchant Taylors' Schools (@MerchantsCrosby) September 10, 2025
After Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal arrived by helicopter on our Senior School field yesterday, our Year 6 pupils were given the rare chance to step up close to the impressive Leonardo AW139.
The pilots kindly took the time to chat with… pic.twitter.com/Pikq5crNFQ
On January 4, The Telegraph reported that the two helicopters being leased by the royals have already traveled 58,000 miles (or 420 hours) between February and November 2025, which is enough to have circled the globe twice.
William and Princess Anne are believed to be the worst offenders, since King Charles isn’t a big fan of helicopters in general. The outlet also noted that, in the past, Charles has “raised concerns” that Will and Kate were actually using the aircraft too often.
They’re receiving a lot of criticism for how often their helicopters have been in use.
People are taking serious issue with how much these helicopters are being used, with multiple people voicing their outrage in posts on X.
“So Prince William is the youngest working royal but he has the lowest number of engagements (excluding OAPs) yet his uses our tax money to fly the most helicopter journeys,” one UK resident wrote.
Another wrote, “Willy’s use of the helicopter is INDEFENSIBLE, since he ranks among the LAZIEST royals (and his ‘work’ numbers are really shameful for a Prince of Wales).”
Now, the palace is speaking out.
In a statement that was published by People, Buckingham Palace stated that the helicopters are necessary for the royals to be able to make it to all of the engagements on their schedules, despite the distance between that day’s planned destinations.
“Helicopters are a key component of the royal travel plan due to their unique capability to access remote regions of the U.K., which are not otherwise readily served by other modes of transport,” the statement said. “They also allow members of the Royal family to undertake multiple engagements in a given day.”
No matter how people feel about it, it doesn’t seem like the royals are willing to give up their helicopters anytime soon.
