The Prince of Wales used to have a hobby that his wife Kate once admitted that her husband’s hobby “filled her with horror”.
Prince William, now 43, loved riding motorbikes in his younger years, but once he became a father, he “toned” it down.
The future King passed his motorcycle test at the age of 19 in 2002, having got his car driving licence the day after his 17th birthday two years prior.
William was often pictured arriving at polo matches on a motorbike, having owned a number, including Ducati 1198s, which reach a top speed of 180mph.
The royal also shared his passion with his younger brother, Prince Harry, with the pair completing a 1,000-mile motorbike trek for charity across the South African wilderness in 2008.
William was still riding his motorcycle after the birth of his son, Prince George, in 2013, with Kate admitting during a visit to Dundee in 2015: “He’s still riding it. It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it. I’m terrified. Hopefully, I’m going to keep George off it.”
© GettyBut three years later during a visit to the Isle of Man, William revealed he wasn’t riding anymore, adding: “I’m a dad of three. I have to tone it down. I miss the big trips, for me, biking was always about being with everybody else.”
During a visit to Northern Ireland in 2024, William couldn’t resist jumping back on a motorbike, albeit a stationary one.
He tested out the special effects in the Virtual Production Studio at Ulster University’s Belfast City Campus, appearing to ride the bike through the Arizona desert.
The delighted Prince said at the time: “Any excuse to get on a motorbike!”
“I feel like someone needs to take this for a real spin,” he added, asking if it was possible to move it from its gimbal.
New mode of transport
Nowadays, Willam loves to get around on an e-scooter and has been spotted zipping around on one in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
He even rode it while appearing in an episode of Eugene Levy’s Apple+ TV series The Reluctant Traveler last October.
William told the Schitts Creek star: “It gets around quite nicely around here, it’s quite fun”, adding: “We come and use the castle for work and for meetings, and to see people. I’m always late, so I thought this was the way to keep my meetings on time.”
However, in a recent change, William will no longer be permitted to ride his scooter on the estate as strict park rules now state: “Aside from cyclists, the roads are reserved for residents and Estate workers. All other forms of motorised transport are not permitted within Windsor Great Park. Examples include: E-scooters, Hoverboards, One-wheels.”
An insider told The Sun: “William used to love his e-scooter to get around the castle as there was no ban. But of course he’s more than happy and prepared to adhere to the rules on e-scooters in Windsor Great Park.”
