Prince William refuses to quit hobby that terrifies Kate Middleton: experts
Kate Middleton’s inability to get Prince William to give up riding motorcycles despite her efforts is "something most married couples can definitely relate to," Christopher Andersen, author of "Kate!," told Fox News Digital.
"Kate's inability to get her husband to give up an activity he loves is something most married couples can definitely relate to—whether it's smoking, drinking, skydiving, whatever," Andersen said. " On the other hand, William's situation is unique. He is a future head of state. So if he is injured or worse in a motorcycle accident, far more than just his family is impacted."
He added that he finds it a "little ironic that someone whose mother was killed in perhaps the most famous car crash in history would take what seem like unnecessary risks on the road."
What has always appealed to the Prince of Wales the most about motorcycles is it "enables him to maintain some degree of anonymity while at the same time bonding with other bikers," Andersen said.
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"He has always gotten a tremendous kick out of pulling up alongside cars at intersections and, while waiting for the light to change, looking over at the other drivers," he added. "‘They have absolutely no idea that it's me beneath the helmet, so they just behave naturally,’ he has said. ‘It's a great feeling for someone like me not being recognized.’"
William’s hobby has long "terrified" the Princess of Wales, and dates back to when Princess Diana had go-karts brought to Kensington Palace so he and Prince Harry could speed around the driveway, according to Andersen.
Hilary Fordwich, a British royal expert, agreed that "while Princess Catherine has a lot of influence" she "hasn’t been able to squash her husband’s passion for his motorcycle."
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"Obviously, like many marriages Prince William listens to his wife and her loving concerns yet yielding fully is a bridge too far, rendering them even more relatable as a regular couple at least in this regard," Fordwich added. "Given all he does for his nation it’s hard to begrudge him this private pleasure. It’s far less destructive than being a philanderer like so many of his predecessors."
Andersen added that "hiding under a helmet" gives William a "sense of freedom, and I think Kate understands that. It's a form of escape, especially for someone who is so famous and under so much pressure 24–7."
William got two of the most powerful motorcycles at the time — a Yamaha R1 and a Honda CBR 1100XX Blackbird — in 2006 that could reach speeds of more than 160 mph.
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"After watching him tear across the countryside churning up dust while his Royal Protection officers tried to keep up, Kate begged William to be more careful," Andersen said. "Queen Elizabeth shared Kate's concern and asked Charles to persuade her grandson to give up motorcycles altogether."
The late queen once told a motorcyclist during a walkabout: "Prince William rides them and it frightens me," Andersen said.
"’Riding a motorcycle can be dangerous," William once conceded, "but so can lots of things. My father is concerned that I'm into motorbikes but he doesn't want to keep me wrapped up in cotton wool. So you might as well live if you're going to live,’" he said.
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For a time after William first became a father, Middleton appeared to make "some headway" into getting him to stop riding, Andersen said.
"Of course at the time, William was an air ambulance pilot busy rescuing hikers stranded in the mountains and plucking heart attack victims from offshore oil platforms," Andersen explained. "One can assume that risky job was enough to satisfy his need to confront danger. Given all the mayhem he witnessed on the roads—one of his main responsibilities was to transport people badly injured or killed in auto accidents to hospitals and morgues—one might think William might have had more than enough excitement for one lifetime."
He added, "Don't forget—William is 43, has been in the same relationship for 25 years, and if that doesn't scream male midlife crisis, I don't know what does."
He said that Middleton isn’t likely to tolerate any of her three children: Prince George, 12; Princess Charlotte, 11; Prince Louis, 8; taking up motorcycles any time soon.
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"That said, I doubt very much if she would stand in the way of any of her children who wanted to play polo, another somewhat risky sport that the royal family has always embraced."
The 44-year-old princess also has her own hobbies, cold water swimming, Padel, a racquet sport, and scuba diving, all of which William joins her in — although Fordwich said he thinks the cold plungers are a little "bonkers."
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"If he objects to anything, it is the way Kate and the rest of the Middletons play board games," he said. "Kate's parents and siblings are highly competitive, and things get so heated he often excuses himself from the action to ‘go walk the dog.’"
Last week, William toured Norfolk Blood Bikes, a charity that transports blood, breast milk and medical supplies to support the U.K.’s National Health Service.
"I love bikes. I do still ride now and again, quietly," William said while looking at the bikes owned by the charity, People magazine reported, adding that the prince donated a bike to the charity last year.