Prince William has revealed that his father King Charles “hates football” and pledged to fly to the United States if England reach the World Cup final – making the admission on a podcast hosted by Travis Kelce, the American footballer expected to marry Taylor Swift.
Appearing as a surprise guest on the New Heights podcast, the Prince of Wales jokingly corrected Kelce that it was “football” and not “soccer”. The 28-minute episode, released on Friday – the day Kelce is believed to be marrying Swift – saw William discuss England’s chances in the tournament, which the US is co-hosting alongside Canada and Mexico.
“Prince William reveals King Charles hates football, pledges to fly to US if England reach World Cup final”
When asked what a successful World Cup would look like for England, William replied: “I think winning it.” Co-host Jason Kelce pressed: “They make it to the final – you’re gonna make the trip across the pond?” William responded: “Definitely. If we’re in the final.” Travis Kelce said: “Oh, I love it, man.” William added: “Well, maybe. Maybe. See you both there for the final.”
The prince said he felt “quietly confident” about England’s prospects, though he admitted that “a little bit of hope gets chipped away each time” as tournaments pass without victory. He praised manager Thomas Tuchel, saying: “He’s got them into a really good frame of mind. The team playing with more freedom, more fluidity… if we lose, we lose playing the way we want to play. And if you’re going to score four goals, we’ll score five.”
William also paid tribute to striker Harry Kane, saying he “could end up being one of the greatest English strikers we’ve ever seen”.
During the conversation, William revealed that his father “hates football”. The King has previously described himself as a Burnley supporter, which may be a factor. The prince’s appearance on the podcast – which typically focuses on American football – is another example of the royals using non-traditional media. Last year, William talked about modernising the monarchy in a conversation with comedian Eugene Levy on Apple TV.
The podcast also touched on US-UK relations, with William teasing when asked if he was surprised America had made it to 250 years. “There were times… but I’d like to think the UK and the US would be together for those 250 years. It’s a good brotherhood.”
William’s appearance comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to return to Britain for engagements next week. But, as has been the case for years, the brothers are not expected to meet. The Prince and Princess of Wales will be around 25 miles away, but in entirely different worlds. Their estrangement, which has lasted for years, shows no sign of ending.