Prince William is determined to watch his favourite football team compete in the Europa League final, a Palace source has revealed.
The Prince of Wales attended the semi-final of the Europa League on May 7, where his beloved team beat out Nottingham Forest for a place in the final. A lifelong Villa supporter, Prince William was gripped by the drama unfolding at Villa Park. A brace from John McGinn capped off a momentous evening following earlier strikes from Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia, with the future king barely containing his excitement. He was seen punching the air and singing along to “Sweet Caroline” as fans celebrated the victory, their first major European final since 1982. Now, Aston Villa is set to face the German team Freiburg in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 20, and the prince looks set to hopefully take part in the celebrations. A win would be the club’s first major trophy in 30 years.
A Kensington Palace source responded to whether the Prince will be watching the game and said: “Did you see his face last week? He will find a way.”
Unai Emery, the Villa manager, revealed that William joined the team’s post-match celebrations on Thursday night. He said: “He was in the dressing room with the players and with me, and of course, he is so happy as well.”
The day after, Prince William hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party with his wife on behalf of the king. William told guests he was tired after his late night and had “bags under his eyes”.
The Princess of Wales said that she had let their three children stay up to watch the match on TV, laughing about how loud they all were in their support.
Prince George has been to a number of games with his father, including the 2024 Europa Conference League matches between Villa and Lille, and Villa and Olympiakos. Last year, the pair attended the Champions League quarter-final between Aston Villa and Paris St Germain in Paris.
Prince William, patron of the Football Association, has been a fan of Aston Villa since he was a schoolboy and is regularly pictured in the stands, cheering for the team.