Kate Middleton was reportedly turned down after making a playful request to turn on the sirens during a royal visit to a firefighter training centre in Northern Ireland with Prince William.

On Tuesday (October 14), the Prince and Princess of Wales toured the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service’s (NIFRS) new £50 million Learning and Development College near Cookstown. The state-of-the-art facility spans 50 acres and features some of the world’s most advanced firefighting simulators.

Dressed in a tailored green Alexander McQueen coat and matching Gianvito Rossi boots, the Princess watched closely as firefighters demonstrated a series of rescue drills, including floodwater rescues, rope ladder training, and breathing apparatus exercises.

But the royals weren’t just spectators — they joined in. During one exercise, both William and Kate tried their hand at throwing a flotation line to an instructor pretending to be a casualty adrift in the water. Despite their best efforts, neither managed to hit the target.

Afterwards, the couple boarded a fire truck for a ride across the training grounds. That’s when Kate’s playful side emerged. She jokingly asked if the sirens could be switched on for the trip and even teased about wanting William to take the driver’s seat.

But the answer, it seems, was a firm no.

“She was wanting the sirens on,” said firefighter Caoimhe McNeice, who accompanied the couple on the ride. “But the driver was strictly told no. She was wanting the Prince to drive. But the driver got us there safely anyway.”