Consequently, when Meghan and Harry travel they often fly on scheduled, commercial flights.
They are only allowed to fly private on certain occasions if the trip is funded by taxpayers’ money.
Details of the royal accounts show that royal visits in 2016/2017 cost the taxpayer £4.5 million.
Royals may only charter a private jet for one special reason – when they are on official business.
This means Harry and Meghan have been previously spotted flying on a commercial plane.
For instance, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen in December 2017 on a British Airways flight when travelling to Nice, sitting at the back of the plane.
In October 2018, the parents-to-be headed off on a two-week royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji they flew from the UK to Sydney on a commercial flight.
In August last year, Meghan also flew commercial with Air Canada when she made a three-day secret trip to Toronto, Canada.
The airline was reportedly asked to protect Meghan’s privacy during the eight-hour flight, with The Mirror citing news hub Royal Central as its source.
Kensington Palace is said to have given the Canadian airline strict instructions in a formal letter regarding Meghan’s journey.
The letter reportedly requested that “no one takes Meghan’s picture or approaches her on the flight.”
However, this is not to say the royal couple never fly in private planes.
In February this year, Meghan flew by private jet to New York City and back for a baby shower.
However, the trip was ‘privately funded’ because it was a personal getaway, according to Kensington Palace.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have also flown on commercial planes. Kate flew British Airways – for which her mother was once a flight attendant for – on her first solo tour to The Netherlands.
Her husband Prince William also joined his brother on the budget airline Flybe after attending Zara Philips’ wedding in Edinburgh.
