One of the better perks of being a member of the Royal Family is being safer than most of the people on the planet. Some of that safety comes from being wealthy, of course, but much of it comes from having professional security guards keeping royals safe both at home and abroad.
Because of this, some of the primary dangers royals might face are the ones they bring on themselves via dangerous hobbies. As it turns out, William has a secret hobby that is one of the most dangerous of all, and Kate Middleton lives in fear he might pass this hobby onto their son George.
Just what is William’s secret hobby, and why is Kate so worried? Keep reading to find out!
A family history of dangerous hobbies
Look, we get it: when you look at the pampered lives of Prince William and his family, it’s difficult to imagine them getting into too many dangerous activities. However, you might be surprised to learn that the family has a history of dangerous hobbies.
For example, young Prince George has a passion for triathlons, skiing, and soccer, all of which can be pretty dangerous. William obviously encouraged the love of soccer due to his own passion for the sport, and he even encouraged George to learn martial arts, even though Kate was worried that their son would end up getting hurt.
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William’s secret hobby may be the most dangerous of them all
While George may be taking up some relatively dangerous hobbies, all of them pale compared to William’s secret passion. Here it is: the future King of England absolutely loves driving his motorcycle around. Part of his enjoyment comes from the dangerous thrill of riding, but part of it comes from the fact that he can travel around relatively anonymously.
As CNN reports, William previously said how much he loves his motorcycle helmet preserving his anonymity on the road. “It does help being anonymous with my motorcycle helmet on because it does enable me to relax.” Considering William has one of the most recognizable faces in England, his enjoyment makes a lot of sense. Equally sensible, though, is the fact that Kate is already working to discourage George from taking up biking.
Kate’s understandable concerns over William’s love of riding motorcycles
Kate hasn’t exactly been shy about her dislike of motorcycles. As Vanity Fair reports, she opened up about her feelings in 2015: “It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it,” she said. “I’m terrified. Hopefully, I’m going to keep George off it.”
Considering how common motorcycle accidents are, Kate’s concerns are quite understandable. However, we can’t fault William’s love of riding because this activity is connected to happier moments in his life.
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William and Harry once used motorcycles to bond with one another
These days, Prince William is very estranged from his brother, Prince Harry. The two had an epic fallout over Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle, and the fact that Harry moved to America with her means there is an ocean between the brothers.
Before the two had all this literal and metaphorical distance between them, though, William and Harry actually bonded over their love of motorcycles. In 2008, they participated in a fundraiser that involved riding one thousand miles in Africa.
William actually rides less these days, but that has more to do with his children than his wayward brother. As reported by Hello!, William gets on his bike less than ever for a very simple reason: “I’m a father of three, I have to tone it down.”
Queen Elizabeth and King Charles also fretted over William’s biking
In case you were curious, Kate isn’t the only one who disapproves of William’s motorcycle habit. While she never made a public statement to this effect, Queen Elizabeth was worried about what could happen to William on the road due to unpredictable drivers. This is one of those little ways that Elizabeth was like any concerned parent or grandparent: she didn’t doubt William’s riding abilities so much as she worried about the driving abilities of others.
Later, King Charles would publicly echo these sentiments regarding William’s dangerous hobby. According to the Daily Mail, Charles commented on William and Harry riding motorcycles, saying “I always worry about them. It’s about other cars not being able to see you.”
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William’s new hobby is safer (and better for the environment)
It’s possible that all of the criticism finally got to Prince William. Alternatively, he may have been actively looking for the best compromise he could make. Ultimately, the prince settled for riding an electronic scooter around England rather than always reaching for the motorcycle keys.
Relatively speaking, it really is a safe compromise. William mostly just travels between Adelaide Cottage and Windsor Castle, which means he isn’t driving for more than three miles at a time. Additionally, these scooters aren’t allowed on public roads, which means nobody will have to worry about other drivers clipping the future king when he’s out for a ride.