Where, oh where, has the time gone? Young Prince George (whom I remember being shown off on the hospital steps like it was yesterday) is about to turn *12 years old* on July 22.

It's a big birthday for the little royal—not just because he's on the cusp of teenagerdom, but also because it comes with a whole new set of royal rules he must follow as the eventual heir to the throne. However, there's one that his parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine, may break on his behalf.

For decades, there has been a protocol in place that prevents Britain's future monarchs from flying together once the youngest direct heir turns 12, a safeguard to preserve the line of succession in case of an accident. This rule would signify that Prince William and Prince George would have to start traveling separately after the latter's birthday this month. (Indeed, William himself stopped flying with his father, King Charles, upon his own 12th birthday.)

But according to recent reports, Will and Kate are seeking to break the convention—or scrap it altogether—in order to keep traveling as a family, including with their two youngest children, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, 7.

As insiders reportedly spilled to the New York Post, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been discussing the possibility of ending the tradition with their advisors, though they may need to get special permission from the king in order to do so.

Of course, it would not be the first time that either of George's parents have broken the "unwritten rules" of the British monarchy, and according to PureWow's VP of news and entertainment (and royal pro) Philip Mutz, their reported stance on this one, in particular, comes as no surprise.

"Personally, this report doesn’t surprise me in the least. The Wales Fam is a tight-knit group, and it makes sense they’d want to stick together while traveling (at least until George is old enough to attend royal events on his own)," Mutz explains.

"Also, Catherine and William are famous for breaking longstanding royal rules, like the 'no selfie' rule or the 'no PDA' rule. So a decision like this would just be more in line with their desire to forge a new path and do things their own way."

Only time (and their next trip) will tell if the royal fam follows the established rule or declares it totally outdated. But if there's one thing we can definitely count on next week, it's an adorable new birthday portrait of the prince.

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