Prince William has admitted that he puts on a disguise to venture out for motorbike rides without being recognised, despite Kate's disapproval of the perilous pastime. The Prince of Wales confessed he "loves bikes" while visiting Norfolk Blood Bikes on Thursday, near to his Anmer Hall residence.
While William revealed he enjoys riding "quietly" and "in disguise", Kate previously said that her husband's motorcycling pursuit leaves her "filled with horror". Throughout his visit, he inspected a 25-strong collection of bikes and vehicles used to deliver vital medical supplies.
Observing the motorcycles arranged in their livery, William said: "I love bikes - I do still ride now and again, quietly." With a conspiratorial nod, he added: "Disguise".
Addressing bikers at Norwich University Hospital, he said: "It's a crucial part of the community, not many people understand the network. You guys provide such a crucial link to what goes on. You guys are amazing."
Motorcycling gets the heart racing for good reason, and Princess Kate wasn't keen on the notion of her husband and father to her children engaging in such a hazardous pursuit. Kate disclosed how much William's pastime troubled her back in 2015 when the pair were four years into their marriage.
At that point, their son George was only two years old and their daughter Charlotte remained an infant, at just a few months old. "He's still riding it," she said about his motorbike during a visit to Dundee, "It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it. I'm terrified. Hopefully, I'm going to keep George off it."
Heeding Kate's understandable worries, the future King has subsequently reduced his involvement in his beloved hobby for his family's sake. Speaking at the Isle of Man TT races in 2018, William said: "I'm a dad of three. I have to tone it down. I miss big trips. For me, biking was always about being with everybody else."
Despite confessing to curtailing his motorcycle adventures, William couldn't help but take a bike for a ride during a visit to Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley in 2018. Donning protective gear and leathers, the then 35-year-old prince seized the opportunity to trial the Triumph Tiger 1200.
Following his brief journey along the road, William dismounted and described the experience as "very nice" although "not long enough". He obtained his motorcycle licence in 2002, aged 19. A few years later, he and his brother Harry set off on the expedition of their lives for a charity motorbike rally.
The royal siblings tackled a challenging off-road route through South Africa. The 1000-mile journey saw the once-inseparable pair raise an impressive £500,000 for good causes. Meanwhile, Kate isn't the only royal who's expressed concern about William's motorbike riding habits. His father, King Charles, reportedly voiced his worries at a reception in St. James Palace when his sons were younger, saying: "I always worry about them. It's about other cars not being able to see you. I'm always telling my sons that."
