King Charles quiet discord with Palace aides exposed in latest statement

The royal family, especially King Charles and Prince William, have remained staunch advocates of the environment and they have reflected that with their rousing speeches and public work.

There have been a number of changes being implemented by the King around the royal residences to conserve energy and electric vehicles are preferred to be used at royal properties. Hence, it came as a surprise when the eco-conscious royals proudly announced a major accomplishment, which wasn’t a very friendly to the environment.

Two new royal helicopters that came into service in early 2025 have already flown a total of 58,000 miles – the equivalent of travelling twice around the Earth, according to The Telegraph report.

The two new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters have been used by senior working members of the family and have logged 420 hours of flying from February to November.

Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement, “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.”

They added, “They also allow members of the Royal family to undertake multiple engagements in a given day.”

Although, it seems that there is a bit of clash between the King and the Palace on the matter as the outlet noted that Charles is “pretty allergic” to using helicopters. The King would “raise an eyebrow” and even object to the option, whenever it was brought up.

Meanwhile, Tim Fauchon, the chief executive of the British Helicopter Association (BHA), insisted that the King was “leading by example” when it came to using the greenest forms of aviation.

This will not be the first time that Charles would be disagreeing with the Palace aides and advisors. Even before he was King, Charles had a way of getting his way. This was how his King’s Trust (previously named Prince’s Trust) was founded in the first place. At the time, his advisors were not keen on the idea but Charles went ahead with it anyway.

If Charles feels too strongly about helicopter use, it is possible that it would be reduced in use as well despite the protests of his aides.