Prince William ‘will find a way’ to watch milestone Aston Villa moment | Royal | News
A Palace source has revealed Prince William is determined to watch his favorite football team compete in the Europa League final.
The Prince of Wales attended the Europa League semi-finals on May 7, where his beloved team beat Nottingham Forest to book a place in the final. Prince William, a lifelong Villa supporter, was impressed by the drama at Villa Park. John McGinn’s strike capped off a momentous evening in which the future king could barely contain his excitement, following earlier strikes from Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia. Fans were seen punching the air and singing “Sweet Caroline” as they celebrated victory in what was the first major European final since 1982. Now Aston Villa will face German team Freiburg in Istanbul, Türkiye, on May 20, and the prince is hoping to join the celebrations. This win will be the club’s first major trophy in 30 years.
A source from Kensington Palace responded to the question of whether the Prince would watch the match: “Have you seen his face last week? He will find a way.”
Villa manager Unai Emery revealed on Thursday night that William had joined the team’s post-match celebrations. He said: “He was in the locker room with the players and me, and of course he was very happy too.”
The next day, Prince William hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace with his wife on behalf of the king. William told guests he was tired after a late night and had “bags under his eyes.”
The Princess of Wales said she let her three children watch the game on TV and laughed at how loudly they were all supporting them.
Prince George attended several matches with his father, including the 2024 Europa Conference League matches between Villa and Lille and Villa and Olympiacos. Last year, the duo attended the Champions League quarter-final played between Aston Villa and Paris St Germain in Paris.
Football Association boss Prince William has been a fan of Aston Villa since he was a schoolboy and was regularly photographed cheering on the team in the stands.
