Prince George stood almost shoulder to shoulder with his mother while on a poignant visit with the Princess of Wales to an RAF base for National Armed Forces Day.
Kate, who has served as Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire since 2023, was all smiles as she stepped out with her eldest son, 12.
The pair were shown around the site, which is home to two frontline, combat-ready squadrons, as well as the fleet of planes used in the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
RAF Coningsby is also the main training station for Typhoon pilots within the force.
A video shared by Kensington Palace showed the royal mother and son inspecting the planes – with the young prince seen now standing just slightly below his mother who measures 5ft 9ins tall.
Closely resembling his father, Prince William – who formerly served in the RAF as a search and rescue pilot – a dapper Prince George listened intently as he was shown into the cockpit of an authentic Battle of Britain spitfire.
Wearing a navy blue suit jacket, complemented by a blue collared shirt, the youngster smiled as he inspected the gauges before looking to turn around to the rear of the plane.
Kate, wearing a tailored grey tweed jacket, then had her turn at the controls and was seen afterwards speaking with Squadron Leader Paul ‘Ernie’ Wise.
Prince George looked a picture of fascination as he stepped into the cockpit of a spitfire while on a poignant visit to RAF Coningsby for National Armed Forces Day
Kate, wearing a tailored grey tweed jacket, had her turn at the controls of the veteran plane
His Royal High-ness: Prince George is just slightly below his mother who is 5ft 9ins
The Princess of Wales was seen speaking with Squadron Leader Paul ‘Ernie’ Wise
The plane they were shown is a prized Supermarine Spitfire, which has been painted to represent the markings it actually wore on D-Day
The plane they were shown is a prized Supermarine Spitfire, which has been painted to represent the markings it actually wore on D-Day while flying missions with No. 402 ‘City of Winnipeg’ Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
In a later segment of the video, accompanied by a music soundtrack, the future King stepped into a modern Typhoon, which can reach maximum speeds of Mach 2 (around 1,320mph).
The future King, who will turn 13 next month and is set to attend Eton College in Windsor from September, smiled as he climbed into the cockpit.
George is known to have a penchant for flying and has previously taken private lessons at White Waltham Airfield.
Kensington Palace said the visit to the RAF base was ‘honouring Service and Sacrifice.’
In a message posted on social media, it added: ‘Marking Armed Forces Day by reflecting on time spent with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby.
‘Learning about the extraordinary history of these aircraft and meeting the pilots and engineers who keep their legacy alive.
‘A powerful reminder of the courage, skill and dedication of those who serve, past and present. Thank you to all those who have served and continue to serve.’
It is understood the Princess of Wales and Prince George visited the site two weeks ago.
The future King stepped into a modern Typhoon, which can reach maximum speeds of Mach 2 (around 1,320mph)
George is known to have a penchant for flying and has previously taken private lessons at White Waltham Airfield. Pictured: George makes his way up the steps of a Typhoon
RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire is one of two RAF Quick Reaction Alert Stations which protect UK airspace, alongside RAF Lossiemouth.
Almost 3,000 Service Personnel, Civil Servants, and contractors work at RAF Coningsby.
The royal pair’s visit comes as celebrations take place across the UK on Saturday to mark Armed Forces Day.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence announced it would provide up to £500,000 of funding for Armed Forces Day events across the country.
