Seeing members of the Royal Family out and about in London or the UK is not something that is big news. Indeed, part of their duties is to attend engagements supporting and shining the spotlight on causes and organisations they support.
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However, seeing them in, what we will call, 'the wild' is more eventful. In the morning of 12 April 2024, pictures of the two heirs to the throne of England inundated the press and social media. So much so that ‘Prince William’ was even trending on X.
The attention this outing is getting is slightly unexpected and let us explain why.
Prince William and Prince George attend a football game
The duo went out to support Aston Villa (the men’s team) as they competed in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final.
Lucky for Prince George who was wearing a Villa-branded scarf, the team defeated Lille 2-1. The princes seemed to enjoy their night in Birmingham.
Why were they at an Aston Villa Game?
For now two days in a row Prince William and the football club of Aston Villa have been making headlines. The first instance of this series occurred on 10 April 2024 when, on the official Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram and X accounts, a message signed by the heir was posted in honour of Lioness Rachel Daly after she announced she was retiring from her international career. The player is also a forward for Aston Villa’s women’s team.
The message said:
Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @RachelDaly3. Plenty more goals for Villa now! W
Because of these two consecutive events, the Independent looked into why Prince William supports the team and turns out the Prince has been quite vocal about it. They report that in 2015 when talking to the BBC he explained:
A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams,
I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.
Talking about his choice to settle on Aston Villa he continued:
Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea.
It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.
That 2015 interview isn’t the only time he has spoken about his love for Villa. He also did so in 2020 and, since 2013, he has been spotted at several of their games. Independent also reports that the Prince has been seen wearing Aston Villa attire at some events, including his sister-in-law’s wedding when he opted to wear a claret tie.
Why their appearance at the football match was significant
The fact that they went to the game isn’t, by itself, a significant event. However, this time it is because it was the first time since Kate Middleton announced her health issues that Prince William was seen outside for a non royal event and, perhaps more importantly, it is the first time Prince George or any Wales child has been spotted.
Usually royal watchers would have seen the Waleses at Easter Service in Windsor but this year the family opted out. On X the outing triggered conflicting reactions. On one hand, some were delighted to see the royals do something normal. One user wrote:
Just wow. Two future kings just enjoying a fabulous night without security to the Tee or some type of stupid drama. Prince William and Prince George are the finest father and son duo.
Another added:
From a young age #PrinceGeorge accompanied his Papa, #PrinceWilliam to watch football, their favourite team #AstonVilla! While mummy #PrincessofWales undergoes treatment for ♋️, #PW takes x out with his son to another game! Hard to believe #PrinceGeorge is already 10 yrs
However, others have shown annoyance at seeing the Prince of Wales out with his son.
If Prince William is able enough to take his MIL to the pub and take his son to a match, he’s perfectly capable of working*
Stop his benefits. That’s what would happen to everyone else.
*Working, I use the term loosely because we’re talking royal type work.
One should note that the Waleses children are on break for Easter and it is common practice for Prince William and Kate Middleton to take this time off to spend it with their three young children.
Read more:
⋙ Prince William and Kate looking at new schools for Prince George: How much it will cost?
⋙ Prince William and Kate Middleton: The story of how they met and how that sheer dress came to be
⋙ Kate Middleton's alleged hotline to senior aide sheds new light on Meghan Markle's security
Sources:
SkyNews: Prince William and George spotted at Aston Villa match in first public outing since Kate's cancer announcement
Prince and Princess of Wales on X
Independent: Why is Prince William an Aston Villa fan?
