Royal motorcyclists

The new issues in this newsletter include an issue from Sierra Leone, with on the stamps photos of celebrities on motorcycles. Among them two film actors who we have seen before on a motorcycle, and two artists.
But what surprised me were 3 members of the British Royal Family on a motorcycle: Prince William, King Charles and the former Queen Elizabeth. Especially the last 2, where Elizabeth is also clearly depicted driving! Must be trick photos, was my first thought. Especially with the latest AI developments, it seems to be easy to fabricate something like this.
So I started looking for the origin of the images with the help of Google Lens. To my great surprise, it soon turned out that all 3 photos are real!

The photo of Prince William was taken during a working visit to the Triumph factory in Hinckley in February 2018. On the stamp he is posing in his smart suit on a Triumph Bonneville Bobber. Clearly standing still, with his feet on the ground, his jacket fluttering a bit must be from the wind.

But he does have a motorcycle license and actually rode a Triumph Tiger 1200 XR during the visit. With a helmet and motorcycle jacket, but in his nice trousers and suede shoes....

His father Charles, not the type you would suspect of being a motorcyclist, was more surprising. But that photo also turned out to be real. You can tell from the expression on his face that he doesn't feel completely at home on such a steel horse.

The photo was taken at the "Royal British Legion Riders Club" at St. James's Palace, during London Poppy Day in November 2012. On that annual day, the Royal British Legion raises money for charities by selling artificial poppies. Charles took a seat on the Harley of one of the bikers who participated as volunteers in the action.

And then finally Elizabeth. It is clear from the photo that it must have been taken in the distant past, and it appears to date from the Second World War. Elizabeth served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army, from March 1945. As part of a motorcycle riding training, she rides an obstacle course on a 250cc BSA.

The original photo shows her slaloming between a row of oil cans, hence the strange position of her head. The cans are not visible on the stamp. It is also striking that the photo for the stamp is colored, but not authentic because then both the motorcycle and the clothing would most likely be army green.

But what surprises me most are the motorcycles that they are on... not a single ROYAL Enfield!

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