Prince William and Princess Kate’s Unexpectedly Modest Car Collection

From humble first cars to big SUVs and state-of-the-art EVs, the Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a motoring passion. We’re used to seeing the couple step out of luxury limousines, but they also enjoy driving themselves.

Join us for a trip down memory lane as we look back at the surprising variety of cars that have received William and Kate’s royal seal of approval.

The first time William was pictured behind the wheel was in 1999 on the Highgrove Estate after passing his driving test in a modest Mk 1 Ford Focus. It was just five weeks after his 17th birthday, following 20 driving lessons. He applied for his practical test after sitting the theory exam one day post-birthday.

Passing his driving test meant William could drive his Volkswagen Golf, a birthday gift from his father, Prince Charles.

Co-incidentally, Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, owned a VW Golf around the same time. She bought the car in 2001 while at the University of St Andrews, where she met William.

In 2007, Kate gave her Golf to her brother James and upgraded to a smarter Audi A3 hatchback. The classy cars from the German manufacturer have been a constant in William and Kate’s car history.

For instance, Kate was pictured leaning on William’s Audi A5 as she talked with his Private Secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, while William and Harry competed in The Chakravarty Cup at the Beaufort Polo Club near Tetbury in 2009.

William and Kate were snapped getting into his new Audi A7 after the Audi Polo Challenge charity polo match at Coworth Park Polo Club, Ascot, in 2012.

William also has a passion for bikes. In 2009, he turned up in style on his Ducati 1198S to play in a polo match at Coworth Park. The anonymity of riding a bike must be appealing for someone as famous as him.

Arguably the car most associated with William and Kate is the Aston Martin DB6 MKII Vantage Volante, which the newlyweds borrowed to drive from their Buckingham Palace reception in 2011. William’s father lent his beloved Aston to the couple, and the images of them driving off with ‘L’ plates and ribbons were a wedding day highlight. The car itself was a 21st birthday present to Charles from his parents in November 1969.

Prince William chose a Range Rover to collect Kate and their newborn son, now Prince George, from St Mary’s Hospital on July 23, 2013. Range Rovers have long been a royal family favorite, and this model became one of the world’s most photographed cars on that day. In 2006, it was advertised for sale at £150,000 – about three times the value of a regular Range Rover without royal heritage.

In 2019, Kate was back behind the wheel of an Audi again, this time an SUV. She drove Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to the late Queen’s annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.

The Royal Family’s relationship with Land Rover goes back to the classless 4×4’s beginning in 1948 when King George VI was gifted a ceremonial 100th Land Rover ever built. In 2021, William and Kate paid tribute to Prince Philip by taking one of his beloved Land Rovers to an event at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, honoring health workers’ efforts throughout the pandemic. The Land Rover 1966 2A model belonged to the late Duke of Edinburgh and was loaned to the couple by the Queen.

The Prince of Wales was seen driving a high-performance, all-electric Audi RS E-Tron GT in January 2024 for a hospital visit after undergoing abdominal surgery. As always, William was closely followed by his security team, this time in a Land Rover Discovery.

Source: Getty, Alamy