“Of course I was watching,” the Prince of Wales wrote about his favorite sport
Prince William is spending some of his children’s school break in a relatable way — and they just might be joining him!
The Prince of Wales, 42, and wife Kate Middleton are parents to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, and the kids are currently amid an autumn break from Lambrook School. On Oct. 22, Prince William sent a personal message on X to seemingly confirm he has been closely following Aston Villa’s progress in the UEFA Champions League. The heir to the throne is patron of the Football Association, soccer’s governing body in England, and a fervent fan of the Aston Villa team, a passion he’s seemingly passed to Prince George.
The Premier League most recently beat Bologna 2-0 on Oct. 22, prompting William to hop online.
“Of course I was watching, @Ally_McCoist9 #UTV,” he wrote on X, and signed the post “W” with a muscle arm emoji. He sent support with the UTV hashtag, an abbreviation for “Up the Villa” (a slogan for “go team”) and shared a graphic from Football on TNT Sports about the squad’s successful streak, highlighting that the team has been the first to win three games in the current Champions League season.
Of course I was watching, @Ally_McCoist9 #UTV W 💪 https://t.co/KkCwgrj9Lu
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 22, 2024
The Prince and Princess of Wales are known to sign social media posts with the initials of their first names to signal when a message comes directly from them, and he tagged former Scottish soccer star, manager and broadcaster Ally McCoist on X.
On Oct. 2, Prince William presented McCoist with his medal in the investiture ceremony recognizing his appointment to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to soccer and broadcasting, and McCoist hinted after that they spoke about Aston Villa.
“Such a proud moment for myself and my family, I am humbled to be receiving my OBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle today,” he wrote online at the time, posting a photo of his investiture with William. “Thank you for all the support and messages it means so much. Did we speak about @AVFCOfficial ?? That’s between the Prince and I.”
Such a proud moment for myself and my family, I am humbled to be receiving my OBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle today. Thank you for all the support and messages it means so much. Did we speak about @AVFCOfficial ?? That’s between the Prince and I 😉 pic.twitter.com/QDCZZhbA2f
— Ally McCoist (@Ally_McCoist9) October 2, 2024
The Oct. 2 investiture was hours before Aston Villa’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich at Villa Park, its home stadium in Birmingham, and the Prince of Wales made a surprise appearance there
William was animated fan in the stands and watched the game, which Villa won 1-0, with friends Thomas van Straubenzee, who is one of Princess Charlotte’s godparents, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, who is one of Prince Louis’ godparents and Edward van Cutsem, another friend of the royal family. William’s office revealed that he met up with “legends” from Aston Villa’s 1982 European Cup-winning team before the Oct. 2 game, and he reportedly lost his voice from yelling throughout the match.
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Villa’s victory over Bayern was meaningful to fans, as the 1-0 finish was reminiscent of the same score and opponent of the 1982 European Cup.
“I’ve lost my voice. I can’t quite believe it. 42 years,” Prince William said, the Daily Mail reported.
Aston Villa’s latest win in Champions League comes amid a school break for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, whom Prince William shares with Princess Kate. The Prince and Princess of Wales are known to share a sporty side, and that includes appreciating athletics at the professional level.
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Prince William and Prince George have attended several soccer games together, and William mentioned his eldest son was “loving” following Villa after a game in April.
Soccer has also been a source of joy for the Prince of Wales as both his wife, Princess Kate, and father, King Charles were undergoing treatment for cancer. (The Princess of Wales announced on Sept. 9 that she completed chemotherapy, while Buckingham Palace described the King’s treatment as ongoing in April.)
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“He has been hugely buoyed by the results of Aston Villa,” a close source previously told PEOPLE. “You shouldn’t overlook the importance of soccer in these moments.”
Prince William’s kids may have joined him to watch the Aston Villa vs. Bologna game on Oct. 22, and their school break will overlap with a kid-favorite holiday — Halloween!
George, Charlotte and Louis aren’t due back in the classroom until early November, meaning that they will likely have extra quality time with their parents. Prince William and Princess Kate, 42, are known to reduce their official duties when their children are off from school, and the timing aligns with King Charles and Queen Camilla’s ongoing royal tour of Australia and Samoa, which kicked off Friday, Oct. 18 and ends Saturday, Oct. 26.
Source people.com
