Aristocrat's dad left 'fuming' after Brexit passport clause sees him turned away from Ryanair flight
16 May 2023, 16:04 | Updated: 16 May 2023, 16:10
The father of an aristocrat has been left 'fuming' after he was turned away from his Ryanair flight as a result of a little known Brexit clause.
Tim Hanbury, father of Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, was turned away from his flight at Stansted Airport over the weekend despite his passport being in date.
Scheduled to board the Stansted flight ahead of a weekend away, Mr Hanbury was stopped by Ryanair staff at the Essex airport because of his passport's issue rather than expiry date.
Rose Habury, 39, is married to filmmaker David Rocksavage, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, 62.
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The pair are former neighbours of the Prince and Princess of Wales and key figures in King Charles' court, with their son, Lord Oliver, 13, selected as one of the Pages of Honour at Charles' Coronation, alongside Prince George.
Despite the aristocrat's passport not expiring for another nine months, according to the newly instated Brexit rule, a traveller's passport issue date must fall under the 10 year cap.
As Mr Hanbury's passport was issued in May 2013, his travel document surpassed the 10 year mark.
Since Brexit, British passports over ten years old are no longer valid when travelling to the European Union.
The rule has caught out countless travellers since the introduction, with Mr Hanbury described as "very upset and frustrated" by one of his friends, according to the Daily Mail.
"He was fuming about Ryanair because he could not have the weekend away that he was looking forward to," they added.
When asked for comment, Mr Hanbury refused to comment on the matter, adding he was "incredibly busy".
A Ryanair spokesman said: "As this passenger’s passport was issued in May 2013, it does not meet the first entry requirement under EU legislation."
