Around January 10/11, we learned that Prince William hired a crisis manager named Liza Ravenscroft. For the past week, we’ve been trying to figure out why he needed a crisis manager for what was being described as a normal communications/PR job. Some believe that William’s personal life and marriage are the “crisis.” Some believe that William’s violent rage towards his brother is the “crisis” in need of management. Some have even theorized that Ravenscroft was hired in advance of some revelations soon to be disclosed in Prince Harry’s ANL case/trial. But what if Ravenscroft really is there to be a “grown up, safe pair of hands” in the room? What if Ravenscroft heard about William’s e-scooter and said “not on my watch, Scooter King!” Suffice to say, Ravenscroft in, Scooter King out. The scooter is being retired.
Prince William has been barred from using his e-scooter since moving to his new home, The Sun can reveal. The future King, 43, is not allowed to whiz around on the two-wheeler now he, Kate and the children have set up in Forest Lodge.
It is inside 4,800-acre Windsor Great Park where “all forms of motorised transport” are outlawed for “safety reasons and traffic management”.
The family had until last autumn lived at Adelaide Cottage in the separate Windsor Castle Estate, four miles to the north — where e-scooters are permitted. In his three years there, William was often spotted riding his 10mph machine around the 655-acre estate and to the castle.
The Crown Estate, which manages Windsor Great Park, and a spokesman for the Prince of Wales, did not wish to comment on the ban last night.
But an insider said: “William used to love his e-scooter to get around the castle as there was no ban. But of course he’s more than happy and prepared to adhere to the rules on e-scooters in Windsor Great Park.”
William’s liking for e-scooters as a means of reaching the castle was first revealed by The Sun on Sunday in July, 2023. Months later, he was filmed by a tourist as he rode on gravel in its grounds. He arrived for a meeting with Eugene Levy at the castle — the world’s oldest — on his e-scooter for an episode of the actor’s The Reluctant Traveller docuseries on Apple TV+.
They’re saying the move to Forest Lodge means that William can’t ride his scooter around Windsor Great Park, but he would still be allowed to scoot around the closer grounds adjacent to the castle. What’s interesting about that is… will we still see Scooter King out and about? Because I’ve gotten the impression that he either keeps an apartment within the castle, or he keeps a separate place somewhere around the Windsor estate. Anyway, yes, any PR professional worth their salt would take one look at the “Scooter King” brand and say “this man is profoundly unserious.” Ravenscroft is earning her keep right from the start!
Photos and screencaps courtesy of AppleTV+/The Reluctant Traveler.
Actually I think that the scooter was something I admired, to stand up and be seen to do something that most people would call childish requires a certain amount of bravery and is certainly better for the environment that a helicopter.
Yeah I agree. There’s nothing really wrong with scooters — they use less fuel. He could bike if he wanted to.
Yeah, while he looked silly, I didn’t really see a problem with a scooter except for the fact that the man could maybe use some de-stressing walking excercise more than a scooter all the time.
Im sorry but he looks like a total dipsh*t on that thing. Dorky, arrogant i dont know it just exemplifies how much he sucks
I agree, an electric scooter is a good thing–although I bet he’s not the one plugging it in and he probably has a fleet so there’s always one that’s fully charged. It’s much better than the uber-helicopers.
I also agree that the distances are so short that walking is an equally good option.
But the scooter’s not instead of helicopters, it’s instead of walking or driving a car or riding a bike.
He looks ridiculous cruising around in that scooter. Very awkward
I agree he did look awkward, probably more scooterish clothing would have helped..
For you ☝️⭐️!
He looked ridiculous but that’s a William thing, not a scooter thing. He can just use a bike to get to the castle if he’s not in a suit 🤷♀️
imagines Wills in skate-park clothing: pale, scrawny and hairless legs sticking out from under the baggy low slung “Rule Britannia” board shorts….
True! I’ve seen some people make scooters look sexy. You just can’t stand there scooting away looking uptight and scared. That doesn’t help the image. lol
I don’t think this has anything to do with the crisis manager. I don’t believe she sets the laws about what is and isn’t banned in Windsor Great Park. That was done and in place before she had arrived to handle any crisis. She doesn’t get credit for this in my opinion.
I’m reading this as the story being fed to the press is her handiwork, not the laws themselves.
Yes you are right i’m re-reading and see that too. I will go back to bed now and start the day again later lol.
I read the headline as “banned from shooting” and it took me this long to figure out why everyone was talking about his scooter. I need more coffee!
Keeping on the topic of the crisis manager, I’ve just come from a different site, and it feels like bots are aggressively pushing back against Kate’s eating disorder. I feel the ED is one topic the crisis manager is working on.
I’m sure he’ll be using it around the Castle.
Given William’s reluctance to be told what to do and his pathological need to act as “his own man’, I highly doubt that he is “more than happy and prepared to adhere” to the scooter ban in Windsor great park. I foresee a situation similar to when Andrew rammed through a locked gate rather than drive a mile out of his way. I guess time will tell but, the press is guaranteed to cover it up or down play it if William does flout the rule.
This is what I believe too. There’s no way that this man – who does (or, more accurately, doesn’t do) whatever he wants, whenever he wants with no regard for anything but himself – will be adhering to any kind of rule like this. Rules like this are made for other people, not for The Scooter King.
I’m actually wondering if this is building in some excuse as to why we’ll never see William at Forest Lodge but will continue to see him scooting around Windsor (because he doesn’t live at FL). Then they can brush it off as he’s at FL but you just never see him since he can’t scoot around. I feel like they are starting to drop explanations about why no one will ever see him there (including his wife and children).
But didn’t they use golf carts with the queen? What’s wrong with a scooter? Is it that the public isn’t allowed to use scooters in the park so thus William should follow the same rule?
It’s the difference between Windsor estate and the great park. Motorized vehicles are banned in the great park not the estate.
Also being on the scooter without a helmet places William at risk of a head injury which could have serious consequences. They don’t want to say that part but it is a risk.
The park itself is wide open space and they don’t want smaller things like scooters because someone could get injured and they likely don’t patrol very much and so it is a liability issue. Especially if the paths aren’t maintained properly.
How convenient that a perfectly reasonable excuse exists for why no one sees William scoot to and from work at Windsor Castle from Forest Lodge. It’s almost like someone pointed out a flaw in the Scooter King roll out.
Didn’t Kate just drive a whole ass motorized car to Windsor Castle from Forest Lodge, to much sycophantic applause?
This.
How can a car allowed to be used at WGP when scooters aren’t? I’m sure the former tenants of the lodges who were evicted used their cars for shopping, getting around…
And as we heard, there was a semi-public car park for those who had paid for access until Bulliam the Incandescent had the whole thing cordoned off and Ms Healing effects of Naychurr had that educational children’s center closed.
So, as usual, the rota is lying.
Too bad I won’t get to see Scooter Prince though, as I am, like others, convinced he doesn’t live there. We’ll be staying at Fairmont Windsor Park (inside the WGP area) for a few days a week from now. I had so much hoped to see angry Huevo speed-scootering by…
Keep us posted!
Y’all made some good points so I looked it up. Per the Windsor Great Park website:
‘Please be aware that only residents and staff are permitted to drive into Windsor Great Park. If your satnav directs you through one of our gates please continue around the Estate until it finds the correct route.’
One of the car park’s says this: ‘Cycling is not permitted from this car park.’ There are designated/permitted cycling routes in the Great Park, indicating some places you’re not allowed to ride your bike, either.
I couldn’t find anything about ‘motorized transport’ specifically, I guess you’re supposed to infer from the ‘only residents & staff can drive in & out’ that there’s no motorized transport allowed?
Haven’t we been hearing about entrances to the park being permanently closed, the nature center shuttered, and the public being banned for a 100 acre radius or something like that? He cn probably ride his scooter around all he wants as there won’t be anyone to tattle on him.
Just the one entrance near them.
No matter how many scooter photo ops peggs has he is not giving up the helicopters private jets and yachts. He commutes to the very few royal work sites in limos and copter. He is all show.
This story sounds like they are trying to show that someone is trying to rein in the lazy, ineffectual Willnot, so they’re starting small by saying he has to adhere to the scooter ban like anyone else. Baby steps are all they can manage with him! We’ll see how long this lasts before he throws a tantrum and somehow blames Harry for this.
For me, this story sounds like a pretence why people won’t see scooter prince around forest lodge…the real reason being, he doesn’t live there…
Agree 💯. I wrote the same thing above! He doesn’t live there.
Maybe Ravenscroft was hired just to help the Wales look like a couple that lives together as opposed to one that is quite possibly separated and living in different homes. The hiring was announced just after the helicopter video. So in that way, this might make sense and that’s the crisis. Figuring out how to sell it better. As opposed to some sort of pending announcement, it’s about the crisis of making something believable. Just another theory thrown at the wall.
That thing goes 10 miles-16km per hour and he’s not wearing a helmet??
How much more damage could he do? /s
But he is a terrible example to others.
I stumbled across a clip of Will-not riding the scooter at Windsor randomly on the internet a few days ago and fell out of bed laughing. He looked idiotic, but he didn’t know it and doesn’t have the swagger to absorb the lunacy of the image. Will-not riding the Scooter is the Will-not equivalent of Keener unevenly plucking a blonde lady Godiva wig on her head and simultaneously swearing the length and color are her natural hair. They both live in the land of delusion with way too much faith in the belief that most people are stupid and will always show Will-not (and by association Keener) reverence because of an accident of birth order. The media infantilizing these middle aged Doolittles is fascinating. Will-not needs someone in his orbit who doesn’t swoon over the association with his title and capitulate to his whims and worst pr instincts. The fancy, expensive crisis manager was hired because Will-not is going to need crisis management and the British government intervened and forced him to hire a competent adult. 🍿
ITA about the press. It is quite fascinating how they keep carrying water for them. Why is it better for the press than reporting on their grifting lies and laziness and thus serving as the fourth estate that keeps them in line?? Am I naive in believing that that would be just as lucrative if not more?
Re. the press, I find it hilarious that they were all, “OPRAH WHO??? WE DON’T KNOW HER!!” after Harry and Meghan’s interview, but when it’s William, Eugene Levy is suddenly the most important person in the world.
I absolutely adore Eugene Levy, but come on.
@ TN Democrat – that’s what I’ve believed from the start about a crisis management expert being hired, that W had no choice in the matter the UK government stepped in and insisted on the appointment.
It’s possible as part of a general re-set, before the proverbial hits the fan, that said crisis manager is cancelling the more foolish imagery around W. Like @Christine above, I too adore Eugene Levy but for W to be giving a serious interview to the writer and star of Schitts Creek was ill-advised and betokened W’s childish intellect
I don’t believe the crisis manager has anything to do with needing a grown up or someone to manage PR for KP. William will be king regardless of how idiotic or incandescent he is and he happens to have a very deferential press machine at his disposal to prop up any inadequacies that he has. Crisis managers aren’t hired when things are calm and the public doesn’t seem to care what he does. I’m still of the mind that she was hired for a personal crisis that is looming.
I’m awaiting news that there is a trial separation for William and Kate because he can’t scooter around Forest Lodge but Kate won’t leave, so….priorities.
I think it’s also an issue for William to be scootering around the park that was formerly the people’s park (and legally so, too). To see his lone, idiotic figure scootering around might provoke wrath, ridicule, resentment, etc. for all the people locked out of 150 acres of nature so one boy-man can scoot around like he owns it (does he now? Is it official that the 150 acres “belong” to William). It just pinpoints his selfishness, cluelessness and indifference IMO. Plus he looks like an idiot, as I said above. Harry would never (but maybe his kids would with the proper equipment when they’re older).