ON A SURPRISE OUTING GEORGE, CHARLOTTE AND LOUIS

GET THEIR SUMMER OFF TO A FLYING START

- EMILY NASH

On the same weekend as the Wimbledon finals, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a delightful surprise appearance with all three of their children at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and five-year-old Prince Louis joined William and Kate on the outing to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where they were treated to a private tour of jets, helicopters and vintage planes.

Their first stop was the huge C-17 transporter aircraft used to convey Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Scotland ahead of her funeral last September – an operation for which their tour guide, Wing Commander Will Essex, was in charge. Plane fan George could be seen pressing a button to partially raise the ramp as William looked on.