Prince William Hops on Motorbike Despite It Leaving Kate Middleton ‘Terrified’

While visiting Northern Ireland, Prince William got a chance to briefly take part in a hobby he gave up years ago.

On Nov. 14, the Prince of Wales, 42, visited the Virtual Production Studio at Ulster University’s Belfast City Campus, where he hopped on a motorbike and rode through what looked like the Arizona desert.

“Any excuse to get on a motorbike!” the future king said, according to Hello!.

“I feel like someone needs to take this for a real spin,” he said, asking if it was possible to move it from its stationary position.

As he hopped off the motorbike, William added, “I love that exhaust” before calling the virtual experience “incredibly realistic.”

Prince William considered riding motorbikes a hobby in his younger years, but in 2015 his wife Kate Middleton admitted that her husband’s hobby was a cause for concern.

“He’s still riding it,” she said during a visit to Dundee, Scotland. “It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it. I’m terrified. Hopefully I’m going to keep George off of it,” referring to their eldest child, Prince George, who would turn 2 that year. 

Three years later, while visiting the Isle of Man in 2018, William said he’d given up the hobby. “I’m a dad of three. I have to tone it down,” he said, in reference to he and Kate adding Princess Charlotte to their family in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018. “I miss the big trips. For me, biking was always about being with everybody else.”

Prince William’s trip to Northern Ireland was scheduled to take place this past May, but was postponed because of the U.K. general election. He made two stops while there, first visiting The Foyer, a temporary accommodation and support service for young people experiencing homelessness that is part of his Homewards initiative, aimed at eradicating homelessness in the U.K.

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From there, he headed to Ulster University, where he zoomed in on highlighting the work of creative industries. Ulster in particular has been a cornerstone in helping grow the creative industry in Northern Ireland, which is estimated to add over $1.7 billion to the local economy and employ over 24,000 individuals. Highlighted during the visit was the forthcoming Studio Ulster, a $91 million studio complex in Belfast set for completion in 2025.

While on campus, a cheeky Prince of Wales recorded a video message on a young woman’s phone for a friend who missed his visit to the university.

“Leslie, I’m very sorry we’re late,” William said into the phone after asking, “Are you recording?”

Overlaid over the video were the words “POV — Prince William gives you the best excuse for being late.”