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Who would’ve guessed that the first in line to the British throne once had his royal reputation sullied during his university days? And since he never learned the lesson, the incident kept repeating itself.
Yep, that’s precisely what happened when Prince William, during his university days at St. Andrews, got himself banned from his local video shop for repeatedly returning DVDs late — and to this day, he’s never fully owned up to this story.
Back in the early 2000s, while studying geography at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, Prince William was a regular at the town’s beloved video shop. According to Zoe, a former shop assistant who witnessed the royal rentals firsthand, the young prince had a particular weakness for one rather unexpected film: The 2002 raunchy comedy Boat Trip.
The movie — a cringeworthy flop starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Playboy model Victoria Silvstedt — follows two friends who mistakenly end up on a gay cruise. One of its promotional posters alone raised eyebrows as it featured Silvstedt perched seductively on an oversized banana in a barely-there blue bikini. And apparently, William seemingly could not get enough of the movie.
“He rented that a couple of times at least,” Zoe revealed to The Sun. “We used to serve Prince William quite regularly before everything went digital. His DVDs were always late, and his bodyguards would never want to pay the fines.”
As the prince’s security detail balked at coughing up a few pounds for late fees, it forced the shop to issue an unprecedented ban on the future king of England. “We had to ban Prince William until he paid up,” Zoe explained, adding, “He always did in the end. He’s very nice.”
But here’s where things get really interesting. While Prince William has publicly gushed about being a fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, claiming it as his favorite film series, one can’t help but wonder if this is a carefully curated narrative for the royal brand. After all, Boat Trip — with its scantily clad Swedes and bawdy humor — hardly screams “regal taste.” Of course, one could argue his choice could have changed. But given his fixation on Boat Trip all those years ago, it’s obvious what his first favorite film really was.
The prince has never addressed his secret penchant for the R-rated comedy, let alone the awkward episode of being temporarily blacklisted from the video shop. Was it youthful rebellion? Or perhaps just a brief lapse in judgment? Either way, it’s a far cry from the polished, family-friendly image Prince William projects today as a devoted husband and father of three.
Regardless, Prince William’s time at St. Andrews certainly wasn’t all books and lectures. For four years, the prince lived out a surprisingly relatable chapter of life, one late fee at a time. But as for his supposed love of Lord of the Rings? It could be a real passion or a more diplomatic choice than his actual favorite flick from those formative years of life. After all, even future kings know that some secrets are better left buried at the bottom of the royal vault.