Prince William may now be known for his steady, statesmanlike image, but there was a time when the future king had a serious need for speed with a hobby.
And while he loved the thrill, it was one pastime that reportedly left Kate Middleton anything but calm.
Long before royal duties and school runs took centre stage, William was a keen motorcyclist. He passed his motorbike test back in 2002 at just 19 and quickly developed a passion for powerful machines, often seen roaring around on high-speed bikes including the Ducati 1198. Capable of hitting around 180mph, it was not exactly a hobby designed to soothe worried loved ones.
He even turned biking into a bonding experience with Prince Harry, with the brothers tackling a gruelling 1,000-mile motorbike journey across South Africa in 2008, all in the name of charity.
Prince William’s hobby that ‘horrified’ Kate Middleton
While William relished life on two wheels, Kate was far less enthusiastic about his daredevil streak.
During a visit to Dundee in 2015, the Princess of Wales openly admitted how nerve-wracking she found it. “It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it. I’m terrified,” she said at the time.
As reported by HELLO!, Kate also joked: “Hopefully, I’m going to keep George off it.”
Despite becoming a father, William did not immediately give up riding. He continued for several years, although the risks clearly weighed more heavily as his family grew.
It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it. I’m terrified.
By 2018, during a visit to the Isle of Man, the prince acknowledged that life had changed. “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,” he admitted.
These days, William has largely left motorbikes behind, but his affection for them has not completely disappeared.
On a visit to Ulster University’s Virtual Production Studio in Belfast in 2024, he could not resist hopping onto a stationary motorbike simulator. “Any excuse to get on a motorbike!” he joked, smiling as he pretended to race through the Arizona desert.
In more recent years, William swapped horsepower for something a little quieter: an electric scooter.
He was regularly spotted gliding around Windsor Castle and even made a surprise appearance with it in Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler.
“It gets around quite nicely, I’m always late, so I thought this was the way to keep my meetings on time,” William explained to Eugene.
That phase, however, has now come to an end. Following the Wales family’s move in October to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the scooter has been sidelined. The park bans motorised vehicles such as e-scooters, hoverboards and one-wheels.
Kate Middleton’s ‘crazy’ hobby
Ironically, while Kate worried about William’s high-speed adventures, she has a heart-racing hobby of her own. The Princess of Wales is a devoted fan of cold water swimming, a pastime that has earned her a reputation for bravery.
Kate has spoken openly about her love of icy dips, whatever the weather and even in the dark.
“The colder, the better,” she said during a 2023 appearance on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast. “I absolutely love it. Slightly to the point where William’s like, ‘Catherine, you’re crazy.'”
It seems her enthusiasm may have rubbed off. On a recent visit to Colwyn Bay in North Wales, William revealed to members of the Bluetits cold water swimming group that he had finally given it a go himself.
“You feel great afterwards,” he said, according to the Daily Mail. “I do a lot of yelling and screaming when I get in!”
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