Prince William, accompanied by his son Prince George , experienced a tough evening on Sunday as he watched England face Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Already a familiar face during the tournament , the Prince of Wales cheered on the soccer team from the stands in two previous matches. As the president of the England Football Association (FA), he witnessed the group stage draw with Denmark in Frankfurt and celebrated the nail-biting quarterfinal penalty shootout victory against Switzerland alongside the players, including a jubilant moment with Trent Alexander-Arnold in the tunnel area.
Following England's semifinal triumph over the Netherlands, the Aston Villa supporter took to social media platform X to praise the team, exclaiming: "What a beauty, Ollie!" Ollie Watkins scored the winner for England in the dying stages of the game.
READ MORE: England players will get huge bonus for winning Euro 2024 if they beat Spain
READ MORE: King Charles sends cheeky plea to England soccer stars ahead of Euro 2024 final
King Charles also joined in the celebrations, extending his congratulations after the semifinal win and sending his "best wishes" for Sunday's showdown. He jokingly urged the team to avoid last-minute heroics or another nerve-shredding penalty scenario for the sake of the nation's health. That didn't happen, with England losing 2-1 in normal time.
Kensington Palace confirmed that William would be present for the final, marking a special first as he brought along Prince George to witness an away match outside the UK. Prince George was present at the Euro 2020 final against Italy three years ago at Wembley. He has also been a regular attendee at rugby and tennis events around the country, as well as major Villa games.
On Sunday, he was among approximately 60,000 England fans in Germany's capital city - where both the 10-year-old and his father hoped history wouldn't repeat itself. But it wasn't meant to be.
Speaking after Sunday's game, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said: "England were not brave enough on the evening to make the next step. It is a good thing for football that Spain won the tournament with the brand they have played.
"Spain played the beautiful game and England didn't - the beauty of Gareth's team has been getting over the line."
Former England striker Gary Lineker added: "It is a hard defeat for England to take but in some ways, it is a victory for attacking football."
Most Popular
Comments / 0