Prince William is Aston Villa’s No. 1 cheerleader and didn’t miss their UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-Final appearance.
William, 41, stepped out solo for the U.K. soccer team’s first leg match against Olympiacos FC on Thursday, May 2. The Prince of Wales was spotted watching the game from a private box, wearing a dapper navy blazer over a coordinating button-down. (The game also fell on William’s daughter Princess Charlotte’s 9th birthday, though it is not known how he marked the occasion.)
Despite William’s patronage, Villa lost the game to the Greek team 2-4.
William is a longtime fan of Aston Villa, even taking eldest son Prince George, 10, to many games through the years. The father-son duo last took in a match together in April.
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“I’m letting him choose his own way. It’s about finding what fits for him,” William previously said during an appearance on “That Peter Crouch Podcast” in July 2020 about whether he wanted George to support the team too. “I do like the values and the ethos of the [Aston Villa] club. I want them to look after the players and set a good example to the young fans.”
The prince continued at the time, “I want our children, when they go to the match, to come away loving what they’ve seen, enjoying it and seeing their role models behave in a way that we’d all want them to.”
William shares three children with wife Princess Kate Middleton: George, Charlotte and Prince Louis, 6. The family of five had been navigating a trying time as Kate, 42, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in January. They publicly shared the news in March.
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment,” Kate said in a video released via Kensington Palace on March 22. “This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
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She added: “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirit. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you.”
As Kate started her treatment, she canceled all public-facing duties and is not expected to return until being medically cleared by her doctors. William, for his part, has continued to step out at official outings albeit solo.
William recently attended the opening of James’ Place Newcastle, a local suicide prevention center for men, on Tuesday, April 30. During the walkabout, he gave a brief update on Kate and their children.
“All doing well, thank you,” William told onlookers. “Yes, we’re doing well.”
