ComScore

5-Year-Old Prince William Enjoys a Pony Ride in New Year's Day 1988 Photo with Princess Diana

It's no secret that horseback riding is a popular hobby in the British royal family. There's Queen Elizabeth, who started riding from the age of three, and then there's her daughter Princess Anne, who's known for her groundbreaking equestrian career. But she isn't the only one who followed in the late monarch's footsteps.

A newly resurfaced photo is showing that her grandson, Prince William, also took a liking to the sport. The black-and-white snap, which was taken on New Year's Day in 1988, shows Princess Diana taking 5-year-old Prince William for a pony ride at Sandringham, Norfolk.

princess diana william pony
Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images

In the throwback pic, Princess Diana is sporting denim with rain boots and a puffer jacket as she leads William on his Shetland pony. Meanwhile, William is also seen in a jacket and riding helmet as he sits on his pint-sized pony.

Clearly, a love of the sport runs strong in the royal family, because Prince William and Kate Middleton's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, have already taken several horseback riding lessons. According to The Times, the trio became "avid riders" after practicing their skills in Norfolk. And at the time, the queen reportedly took a "close interest" in their progress.

Even William noted that he was "thrilled" about his kids taking an interest in riding, according to The Times.

zara tindall
Getty Images

Yet another royal family member who took up horseback riding is Princes Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, an accomplished equestrian who won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics as a member of the Great Britain Eventing Team.

Yep, horseback riding is in the royal family's DNA.

Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.



nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

  • Writes celebrity news, TV/movie reviews and SEO-focused entertainment articles
  • Interviews celebrities and covers red carpet events
  • Has 8+ years of experience covering entertainment topics

news
/ Rachel Bowie
Queen Camilla’s Stunning Brooch Is Worth $10 Million (& It Has a Surprising Tie to Princess Diana)
news
/ Nakeisha Campbell
Netflix's 'Is It Cake?' Host Mikey Day Reveals His Secret to Detecting If It's Cake: 'I Definitely Know the Signs'
news
/ Danielle Long
Prince Harry Just Popped Up in the Last Place I Expected—and He Wasn't Alone
news
/ Danielle Long
Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas Are Serving Major Couple Goals (and PDA) in Steamy New Pic
news
/ Danielle Long
Jennifer Garner Shares Rare Throwback with Her Sisters—And Fans Can’t Get Over One Thing
news
/ Danielle Long
Martha Stewart Posts Sultry New Photo and Fans Think She's Aging Backwards
news
/ Danielle Long
Buckingham Palace Posts Striking Portrait of King Charles and Queen Camilla with the Pope (and I Need to Know What's in that Box)
news
/ Danielle Long
Prince George Joins Prince William for Surprise Appearance—and He Looks Like His Dad's Mini-Me
news
/ Danielle Long
Queen Camilla Stuns in Gorgeous Turquoise Dress—and Her Accessories Hold a Very Special Meaning
news
/ Danielle Long
Royal Family Unveils Striking Photo of Queen Camilla and King Charles Standing Alone—and It's Very Out of Character for Both of Them
news
/ Danielle Long
I Just Realized Why 'The White Lotus' Star Walton Goggins Looks Familiar—and I Don't Know How I Missed It
news
/ Danielle Long
Buckingham Palace Just Posted an Emotional Video of King Charles and Queen Camilla Standing Side by Side
news
/ Danielle Long
Meghan Markle Shares Rare Photo of Herself As a Girl Scout And I Can't Get Over This One Detail
news
/ Danielle Long
Netflix’s #1 Movie Has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes—and It’ll Have You Laughing Till It Hurts
news
/ Danielle Long
Selena Gomez Is Channeling Meghan Markle With This Major Spring Beauty Trend
news
/ Danielle Long
Chrissy Teigen Just Shared a New Pic of Her Youngest—And This Baby’s Got *Major* Cool Kid Energy
See More