King Charles and Queen Camilla's plane was damaged as windows fell out mid-flight, a report has revealed.
Three window panes fell off the Titan Airways Airbus at 14,000 feet last October, after it took off from Stansted Airport on a flight to Florida.
After take-off, passengers noticed “increased cabin noise” and a crew member discovered one window was visibly loose in its frame.
The A321neo returned to Stansted after 36 minutes airborne. None of the 24 people aboard the Airbus were injured in the incident.
King Charles and Queen Camilla taking the same plane to France in 2023
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Three windows were missing, and fresh impact damage was visible on the aeroplane’s tail.
King Charles and Queen Camilla had previously used the jet for a state visit to France last September.
It has also been used by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on official trips abroad.
The airliner was registered G-GBNI while being used for royal and Government flights. At the time it was painted white with a Union flag logo on the tail.
A look at the Titan Airways Airbus carrying King Charles and Queen Camilla to France
PA
After the Government charter ended, the Airbus was re-registered G-OATW and painted black.
The Government regularly charters commercial airliners for official trips by ministers and members of the Royal Family.
Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) analysts found the windows had shrunk after being exposed to “high intensity” lights used for filming an advert the previous day.
Advertisers were onboard the aeroplane at Stansted the day before to film promotional footage.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at Orly Airport
PA
Film technicians used high-intensity halogen lights outside, shining through the windows to create a sunrise effect.
The six lights used had a combined lighting capacity of 72,000 watts, more than 700 times greater than a household light bulb.
The AAIB said: “The lights were first shone on the right side of the aircraft for approximately five and a half hours, with the light focused on the cabin windows just aft of the overwing exits.
“The lights were then moved to the left side of the aircraft where they illuminated a similar area on the left side for approximately four hours.”
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla depart Bordeaux-Merignac Airport
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The AAIB added: “All the scratch panes remained in place so there was no direct, unrestricted aperture between the passenger cabin and the outside air."
A Titan Airways spokesman said: "We would like to thank the members of the AAIB team for their extremely thorough and professional investigation. The aviation industry as a whole will benefit from the lessons learnt from this event.
“We are also pleased to hear that our colleagues at Airbus will be circulating further information to its worldwide customer base, highlighting the potential damage that can be caused by high-intensity lighting.
“We are also grateful to all of our crew members onboard, whose swift and professional handling of the incident was exemplary.”