In the early hours of Monday morning, the Prince of Wales stayed up at his Windsor home to watch England’s memorable victory over Mexico. At Forest Lodge, he endured the delayed start, the intense atmosphere of the Azteca Stadium and the nerve-jangling end to the second half when a 10-man England clung on to their lead. It was just one of many matches he has watched this tournament, as Patron of the Football Association and a fan who knows the England set-up well. Several England footballers have Prince William’s personal phone number, and he has been in direct contact with players and staff during the tournament. If England make it to the World Cup final in New Jersey on 19 July, he will fly over as an official representative of the FA and the royal family’s most ardent football fan.
No royal has ever shown their love for football quite like Prince William. His passion has often been at its most raw on the royal family’s social media platforms. On 20 May this year, his official accounts loosened up: “UTV! VTID” they screamed alongside a red love heart and a muscular arm emoji, posted with a “W” meaning they came personally from William. The message was posted minutes after his beloved Aston Villa had won the Europa League final with a 3-0 victory over German side Freiburg. It was Villa’s first European title in 44 years – they won the European Cup in 1982, the year Prince William was born.
“Prince William stayed up to watch England beat Mexico, showing his passion as football’s ultimate royal fan.”
He had been at this year’s final in Istanbul with a group of close friends from his childhood who share his love for Aston Villa: Ben Dawes, Thomas van Straubenzee and Edward van Cutsem. They have all been regulars at Villa games over the years. It was a family friend who persuaded him to support the club when he was a teenager. His reaction to every goal, caught on TV coverage, was unbridled joy – what football fans call “limbs”: the shouts, the jumping on and hugging of those around you. In his post-match interview, club captain John McGinn spoke of the future King’s unwavering support. For a prince who will one day reign, football offers a connection to the country that polo never could.