Prince William flies Princess Charlotte in a helicopter© Getty Images

Dad’s co-pilot! Prince William flew Princess Charlotte in a helicopter to an engagement

The father-daughter duo attended the Commonwealth Games with the Duchess of Cambridge on Aug. 2


AUGUST 4, 2022 12:46 PM EDT

 Prince William  personally flew his daughter  Princess Charlotte  to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games earlier this week. A video shared by CobraEmergency appears to show the Duke of Cambridge, who previously worked as an air ambulance pilot, landing a helicopter, while Charlotte was seated in the back. The seven year old was filmed waving at a car that arrived on the field.

© Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Commonwealth Games with Princess Charlotte on Aug. 2

The  Duchess of Cambridge  was not seen on board the chopper. Matthew Syed, a columnist for The Times, shared on Twitter that Kate was on his train on his way to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on Aug. 2.

“I was using the loo on train to Comm Games yesterday while my young son waited outside. He got talking to a lady waiting her turn. They chatted, laughed. I came out to thank her - then almost fell over. It was Kate! Thank you ⁦⁦@KensingtonRoyal,” Matthew tweeted.

In his column, Matthew wrote: “Five minutes before pulling into Birmingham International for the NEC. I use the bathroom (we are travelling first class) as Ted waits outside. As I am doing my thing, I hear him talking to a woman in the vestibule. ‘Are you here alone?’ she asks. ‘No, my dad is in there’ - he says, pointing to the lavatory. They continue chatting as I use the soap, then tap, then dryer. Judging by the laughter, they are having a whale of a time. I hear my son telling the lady that his father once won Commonwealth gold and sense that he is brandishing the medal he has brought along for the occasion. I hear more laughter. By the time I am finished, we are only a couple of minutes from the station.”

© Getty Images

The Cambridges attended the games sans Prince Louis and Prince George

“‘Come on Ted,’ I say, ‘we have to get off!’ ‘Oh, and thanks for keeping him company’ I say turning to the woman waiting her turn when I am stopped in my tracks. My brow furrows, my face works. ‘Kate?’, I blurt out. There are no security guards in the vestibule; no armed guards. But here is the Duchess of Cambridge, chatting merrily with my son,” he continued. “We are still going at it when the train has stopped and is on the verge of heading off to Birmingham New Street. ‘We’d better get off,’ says Ted. ‘Did you realise who that was, son?’ I ask him. ‘No idea but she was really nice,’ he responds. The Duchess had no idea she was chatting to the son of a journalist so I take this to reflect her character and sense of duty. The monarchy is in consummate hands.”

Although they might not have traveled to Birmingham together, the Duke and Duchess reunited at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday. The outing marked Princess Charlotte’s first solo engagement with just her parents.