Prince William's Motorcycling Hobby "Frightened the Life Out of" Queen Elizabeth

• Prince William used to have a favorite hobby that the Queen didn't totally approve of.
• Will loves motorcycles and says he's had a "passion for motorbikes" since he was "very small." The royal said that part of the appeal of the hobby was the anonymity that came with riding around with his face obscured by his helmet.
• Apparently, however, Queen Elizabeth was never a fan of Will's hobby. A royal photographer revealed that Will's habit of riding a motorbike "frightened the life out of" his grandmother.

The Queen has a lot of say over what the other members of the royal family can do with their lives—including, in some cases, who they can marry. Even the Queen can't control everything though, and apparently that includes royal hobbies. Prince William, in particular, used to have a favorite hobby that Queen Elizabeth was decidedly not a fan of.

That hobby? Riding motorcycles. According to Express, Will has gushed about his love for bikes, saying:

"I don't know what it is about bikes, but I've always had a passion for motorbikes ever since I was very small. I used to do a lot of go-karting when I was younger and then after that I went on to quadbikes and eventually motorbikes.

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He continued:

It does help being anonymous with my motorcycle helmet on because it does enable me to relax. But I just enjoy everything about motorbikes and the camaraderie that comes with it."

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According to royal photographer James Whitaker, however, Queen Elizabeth didn't like Will's favorite hobby.

"I think it frightens the life out of people at Buckingham Palace and almost certainly, the Queen too. It is a strange thing," he said. "His mother was constantly fleeing from the paparazzi, who were on motorbikes. Now her son is using a motorbike for the same sort of reasons."

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