Prince George may undergo a massive change next year due to a strange royal tradition.

Today marks the young prince’s 11th birthday – with his parents celebrating the day by releasing a new portrait of the future king, captured by his mom, the Princess of Wales.

Born on July 22, 2013, George Alexander Louis is the oldest child of Prince William and Princess Kate.

The young boy, who is known as Prince George of Wales, is second in line to the throne, after his father, the Prince of Wales.

As the future heir will turn 12 next year, his life and routine may look a little different.

Prince George will turn 12 next year. Credit: Chris Jackson / Getty

The monarchy has previously implemented an unusual protocol that states that once the second person in line to the throne turns 12, they must travel separately to the current heir.

This was designed to safeguard the throne’s lineage by limiting which family members could share a flight, just in case anything went wrong.

According to OK! Magazine, King Charles’ former pilot, Graham Laurie, revealed how this rule impacted Prince William from the age of 12 in 1994.

“We flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William, and Prince Harry, up until Prince William was 12 years old,” Laurie said on HELLO Magazine’s A Right Royal Podcast.

“After that, he had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together when they were young with the written permission of Her Majesty,” he continued. “When William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 out with the other three on.”

George is the oldest child of Prince William and Princess Kate. Credit: Karwai Tang / Getty

If history is to repeat itself, George may be forced to travel separately from his father and younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, after July 22, 2025.

While neither William nor Kate Middleton have disclosed whether they will follow this rule with the young prince, it’s not clear who will travel solo.

There’s a possibility that George could continue to fly with his mother and siblings, while William uses a different plane.

Prince George is second in line to the throne. Credit: Samir Hussein / Getty

While the bizarre rule can be broken with the monarch’s permission, it is prevented in case of the event of a tragedy such as a plane crash.

Three members of the royal family have previously lost their lives in air accidents. The late Prince Philip’s sister, Princess Cecile passed away in a crash in 1937, the late Queen’s uncle Prince George, Duke of Kent, died in 1942 and her cousin, Prince William of Gloucester died while competing in an air show in 1972.