Prince William’s love of fast motorcycles is still a source of tension with Princess Kate Middleton, even after years of her trying to persuade him to give it up. According to a report published Thursday by Fox News, the 43-year-old prince sees riding as a rare escape from public pressure and a chance to be anonymous for a while, while Kate fears for his safety.
Royal author Christopher Andersen, who wrote "Kate!", said Kate’s inability to make her husband abandon something he enjoys is relatable. He said William especially likes the anonymity of wearing a helmet, explaining that he enjoys standing by cars at traffic lights and knowing other drivers do not realize who he is. William’s motorcycle habit dates back to childhood, when Princess Diana brought go-karts to Kensington Palace for him and Prince Harry. In 2006, he bought powerful Yamaha R1 and Honda CBR 1100XX Blackbird bikes that can exceed 250 km/h.
Even while working as an air ambulance pilot and seeing serious crash scenes, William did not stop riding. He recently told visitors at the Norfolk Blood Bikes charity, “I love motorbikes. I still ride occasionally, quietly.” The article says the debate has gone on for years, and that Queen Elizabeth once asked Prince Charles to persuade William to give up motorcycles because of fears he could be hurt, as happened to Diana.
The couple do share other sports and hobbies. Kate enjoys cold-water swimming, diving and padel, and William joins her in those activities, though he reportedly thinks the cold dips are a bit “crazy.” Andersen also said William sometimes avoids board games with the Middleton family because they become too competitive. Looking ahead, he doubts Kate will let their children, George, Charlotte and Louis, ride motorcycles soon, though she may be more open to them playing polo, another risky but traditional royal sport.
