Pictures of Prince William riding a motorcycle in Belfast surface

New pictures of the future King have surfaced, showing a side of him we’re definitely not used to seeing.

IN LONDON

Prince William has gone for a motorcycle ride through the desert in Arizona – all while on a visit to a university in Belfast.

The Prince of Wales was at Ulster University for a one-day visit to witness their cutting-edge creative sector, which features a virtual production training suite with world-leading special effects.

William tried out a motorbike in the state-of-the-art Virtual Production Studio. Picture: Liam McBurney – Pool/Getty Images

He joked he’d take “any excuse” to jump on. Picture: Liam McBurney – Pool/Getty Images

William joked that he’d take “any excuse” before jumping on the stationery motorbike, and conducting part of the engagement from its seat.

The university is the first in the UK and Ireland to have the “in-camera visual effects stage”, which includes a massive LED backdrop which can dramatically alter the room’s landscape.

The prince, seen here meeting with university staff in Belfast, has just returned from South Africa. Picture: Liam McBurney – Pool/Getty Images

William looked relaxed as he took in the university tour, just days after his return from Cape Town for his Earthshot Prize Awards.

During his visit to South Africa, the prince spoke candidly for the first time about just how “brutal” the past year had been for himself and his family, who have had to battle the cancer diagnoses’ of both King Charles and the Princess of Wales.

“It’s been dreadful … It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” he told reporters, adding he just had to “crack on” with life.

“So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for ­handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

Originally published as Pictures of Prince William riding a motorcycle in Belfast surface