Prince William reveals teenage success during Bafta visit

Prince William shared this week that he successfully passed his driving test on the first attempt. 

The royal made this revelation during a recent visit to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) headquarters in London. 

As president of BAFTA, William was engaging with recipients of the Prince William BAFTA Bursary fund when a student inquired about his driving test experience.

"Thankfully, I passed first time," the prince replied. This milestone took place when William was just 17 years old in 1999. His candid disclosure came as he emphasized the significance of supporting young people in the film, television, and gaming industries.

William's driving test occurred in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, close to his family home at Highgrove. He had completed the written part of the exam on June 22, 1999, just one day after his 17th birthday. 

For his birthday, then-Prince Charles gifted him a car, believed to be a Volkswagen Golf, though the exact make was never officially confirmed.

Before taking his official test, William had already been driving on private roads for several years, even setting a record at a London go-karting center at the age of 13, surpassing Damon Hill's time.

During the BAFTA event, Prince William also shared his observations about his children's screen time habits. He humorously mentioned that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are "always wrestling over the remote" due to the vast array of content available today. 

The prince has discussed the need to regulate their screen time, particularly for Prince George, who enjoys gaming. William remarked, "They're fascinated by it," adding that Charlotte and Louis are "a bit too small at the moment, but they love the films."