Regular passengers on the New York to Washington, D.C. shuttle flights are used to seeing senators and celebrities in their midst, but on Monday even the most seasoned of travelers did a double-take when Prince William hopped aboard the plane.
As the plane sat on the tarmac, several black Suburbans pulled up and the second-in-line to the British throne boarded to the excitement of his fellow passengers, who quickly got to work posting photos on social media.
One passenger posted an Instagram photo of the Prince locating his seat, describing how the flight was slightly delayed as a caravan of cars arrived.
"Then the most unexpected guest stepped onto our DC shuttle flight this morning."
Another passenger tweeted a photo of the royal: "Flying with Prince William to DC !! #PrinceWilliam #DukeofCambridge #USAirways @AmericanAir @USAirways."
CNN's Anderson Cooper tweeted the news to his 5.41 million followers.
"Prince William just got on my DC shuttle flight", he posted on Twitter. "I'm hoping this means an on time departure".
Upon arrival, William was given a tour of the White House by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden before sitting down with President Obama in the Oval Office.
The two sat in high-backed chairs and chatted for a few minutes. While William didn't reveal the gender of Prince George's sibling, he couldn't contain his excitement for adding to his family, sharing that next year will "be interesting."
He even joked that he was so excited when his first child was born he "forgot" to ask about the newborn's gender. "I remember when George was born, I forgot to work out whether it was a boy or a girl," he explained. "The excitement of the event and everything else was just chaos. You are suddenly... well actually it's a boy."
"It's going to be interesting next year. A busy year next year," he added.
Then it was back to New York City for a reception with Chelsea Clinton and her famous family, followed by an NBA game. Tuesday begins with a trip to the 9/11 memorial with his wife Kate Middleton and ends with a glittering dinner honoring their alma mater St. Andrews at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Seth Meyers is expected to host and fellow royal Princess Eugenie, William's first cousin, will also be in attendance.
