Kate opened up about William's 'terrifying' hobby on a royal outing(Image: Getty Images)

Prince William's very unroyal hobby - and it absolutely terrified Kate Middleton

Princess Kate opened up about husband Prince William's 'terrifying' hobby during a joint royal outing - and admitted that it filled her with 'horror' every time he went out

by · The Mirror

The Prince and Princess of Wales have a great many things in common - but there is one of William's hobbies that fills his wife with absolute dread.

Kate revealed all in 2015 when the royal couple paid a visit to the Scottish city of Dundee, during which they participated in a family fun day. It's no secret that William used to love riding motorbikes in his youth, and Kate was asked during the royal engagement whether William would still ride from time to time. She admitted: "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."

At the time, the couple's eldest child was just two, while his younger sister Charlotte was only just a few months old. And it seems becoming a father had a major impact on William's outlook. The Prince updated royal fans on his riding habits in 2018, after the birth of their third child, Prince Louis .

During a trip to the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races, William explained that he wasn't riding anymore, saying: "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." The future King has spoken on numerous occasions about his passion for motorbikes and rode one in London on the eve of his 2011 wedding. In 2008, he and younger brother Harry took part in a charity motorcycle rally across South Africa.

Nowadays,William prefers another mode of transport - the Prince previously treated himself to an e-scooter to zip around the royal Windsor estate. William bought a 10mph two-wheeler, which he uses on the three-mile round trip from Adelaide Cottage to Windsor Castle. A source told The Sun: "It just makes sense. He whizzes up to the castle when he needs to see the King."

E-scooters are illegal to ride on public roads unless part of an approved hire scheme. However, they can be used on ­private land, as William does. "It's a two or three-mile round trip from his family home at ­Adelaide Cottage to Windsor Castle so it's easier by scooter than car or walking," the insider added.

William and Kate moved to Adelaide Cottage from Kensington Palace in 2022, along with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal trio now all attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, after the eldest two siblings moved from St Thomas' in Battersea.

Adelaide Cottage underwent major renovations in 2015 - but is seemingly modest by royal standards with just four bedrooms, one for the couple and one each for their children. Despite their move into the property, William and Kate did not give up their other two residences; Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace will remain the family's London home and they have also kept Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

Per reporter Victoria Murphy in 2022, "the move, which a Palace source said has been driven by their desire to have as normal a family life as possible, allows William and Kate the opportunity to offer their children a more rural upbringing away from central London and the hustle and bustle of Kensington Palace, which is a popular tourist attraction".