William, who is the president of Bafta, was meeting recipients of the Prince William Bafta Bursary fund when a student asked him about his driving test experience.

“Thankfully, I passed first time,” the prince responded.

This rite of passage occurred when William was 17 years old, back in 1999.

The prince’s candid revelation came as he highlighted the importance of supporting young people in the film, television, and games industries.

William’s driving test experience in 1999 took place in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, near his family home at Highgrove.

The prince had passed the written portion of the test on June 22, 1999, just a day after his 17th birthday.

Despite passing, William continued his driving education with Sergeant Chris Gilbert of the Metropolitan Police Driving School, focusing on advanced skills through the Pass Plus scheme.

The young royal also received specialised training in avoiding hijack attempts and terrorist threats, skills typically reserved for royal chauffeurs.

For his 17th birthday, then-Prince Charles gifted William a car, believed to be a Volkswagen Golf, though the make was officially kept secret.

Prior to his official test, William had been driving on private roads for several years, even beating Damon Hill’s track record at a London go-karting centre at age 13.

At the Bafta event, Prince William shared insights into his children’s screen time habits.

He joked that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are “always wrestling over the remote” due to the abundance of content available today.

The prince has previously spoken about regulating their screen time, particularly for Prince George, who is a fan of gaming.

William noted: “They’re fascinated by it.” He added that Charlotte and Louis were “a bit too small at the moment, but they love the films.”