The Prince of Wales is visiting Northern Ireland today, where he’ll carry out two important engagements.
Prince William was in his element as he took a motorbike for a spin through an Arizona desert during a visit to a state-of-the-art Virtual Production Studio.
The future King, 42, hopped on the stationary bike and said he would take “any excuse” to ride one during his surprise trip to Northern Ireland on Thursday.
William also took a turn behind the camera as he asked his hosts at Ulster University all about Northern Ireland’s world-leading creative sector.
During his second engagement in Belfast, William was introduced to the virtual production training suite created to teach the next generation the skills to continue Belfast’s reputation as a destination for the world’s film and television industry.
It is the first university in the UK and Ireland to have the “in camera visual effects stage”, which provides a dramatic LED backdrop upon which any scene can be screened behind actors.
Prince William hopped on the stationary motorbike (Image: PA)
Studio Ulster, a £75m development in the city’s harbour, has built a full-scale version, which will allow film and television makers to appear to shoot in all climates and locations from their building – saving carbon, travel costs and eliminating the need to take a full crew to difficult or dangerous locations.
William was given a tour of the facilities and got behind the camera while student Lucy Rodgers sat on the motorbike.
He moved the camera backwards and forwards, at one point telling her apologetically that he had cut off her head.
The prince, who is known to have ridden his own motorbike during his youth, was then invited to take a turn, saying “Any excuse to get on a motorbike!”
“I feel like someone needs to take this for a real spin,” he added, asking if it was possible to move it from its gimbal.
Earlier on Thursday William told young people experiencing homelessness that he wants them to “be seen” as he visited a charity in Belfast helping support young people in care.
The trip was due to take place in May this year but was postponed when Rishi Sunak called a snap general election.
William travelled to Belfast to hear about opportunities to scale local projects to help prevent homelessness for young people leaving care.
He visited the Foyer, a temporary accommodation and support service which houses around 30 young people experiencing homelessness operated by the charity Simon Community, a member of the Homewards “Northern Ireland local Coalition”.
Research indicates that one-third of people with care experience in the UK become homeless within the first two years of exiting the care system, whilst 25% of all people who have experienced homelessness have been in care at some point during their childhood.
The Prince of Wales tried out the bike on a visit to Ulster University
Young people who have been in care may become homeless because they can’t access affordable housing, lack a support network or have experienced childhood trauma. In Northern Ireland, around 140 young people each year leave care and become homeless.
In Northern Ireland, approximately 140 young people each year leave care and present as homeless.
On arrival William was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant for Belfast Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle before sitting down with a group of Homewards partners including Dennison and Alyson Kilpatrick, chair of the Homewards Northern Ireland steering group.
He told them: “All of you have been doing such an amazing job for such a long time. A lot of people have told me that since the documentary went out, it’s opened their eyes a bit more to what homelessness is about. What more can we do to help you?”
Ms Kilpatrick replied: “I think coming to shine a light, visiting, meeting people who are homeless, it all helps.”
William then heard from two groups of young people who have been supported by Simon Community’s “housing first for youth programme” ” which focuses on preventing homelessness, providing stable accommodation and community-based wraparound support to vulnerable young people leaving care for as long as they need.
In the first group at an arts and crafts activity table, he met Amy, 19, who went into care at 16 after a family breakdown and has been at The Foyer since earlier this year.
She told William: “When I was in care, so often, I wasn’t treated like a normal person. There isn’t often mental health support. Without the Simon Community programme, I’m not sure where I’d be.”
The future King, who has been longtime supporter of mental health awareness, asked her: “Is it that we need to get to you earlier? Is that the key issue? Should that be how the care system works more?” She told him: “Definitely”.
Prince William sparked a fan frenzy today as he was photographed sitting on a stationary motorbike in Northern Ireland.
The Prince of Wales, 42, visited a state-of-the-art virtual production studio at Ulster University in Belfast.
It is the first university in the UK and Ireland to have the “in-camera visual effects stage”, which provides a dramatic LED backdrop upon which any scene can be screened behind actors.
At the university, he was asked if he wanted to take a turn sitting on the bike, which was part of the visual production studio.
The future King could be heard saying: “Any excuse to get on a motorbike! I feel like someone needs to take this for a real spin.”
Since photographs of the prince on the bike were released, royal fans have been sent into a frenzy on social media.
One fan wrote on X: “Ahh love this picture!! He is so handsome.”
Another said: “Prince William always looks great on a bike.”
A third wrote: “Beautiful picture.”
Although Prince William has not been seen riding a motorbike for some time, he once had an avid passion for biking, a hobby that was not well-approved by his family.
Prince William has always had a passion for motorbikes
According to previous reports, the dad-of-three had previously owned a Ducati 1199, an Italian-manufactured sports bike with a top speed of 177mph.
During a visit to the Isle of Man TT Races in 2018, the prince said: “I’m a father of three, I have to tone it down.
“I miss the big trips, for me biking was always about being with everybody else.”
As well as toning down his motorbike adventures for the sake of his three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, the future King’s wife Princess Kate is also reportedly not a fan of her husband’s motorbike passion.
A few years ago she told a member of the public in Scotland that she is “filled with horror” when the prince goes out on his bike.
