Prince William won’t be cheering on England as they play in the UEFA European Championship semifinals on Wednesday, July 10.
Hello! magazine reported that the Prince of Wales, 42, has a work commitment that’s keeping him from traveling to Germany for the game. The England men’s national soccer team is going head-to-head with the Netherlands for the chance to appear in the upcoming Euro 2024 finals.
William previously made headlines for his reaction to England beating Switzerland 5-3 on Saturday, July 6. Photographers caught the prince cheering for his team in a private box while wearing his signature suit and tie and high-fiving other attendees.
It’s no secret that William is a huge soccer fan. Before England headed to the tournament, the future king met with the players and shared a poignant piece of advice from his youngest son, Prince Louis.
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“I was on the school run this morning with the children and I said, ‘What shall I say to the England team today.’ The best bit of advice I got was to eat twice the amount you would normally eat,” William said last month at the team’s training grounds at St George’s Park. “And I now have visions of all of you running around with massive tummies and getting stitches on the pitch.”
He quipped: “I think take my youngest’s advice with a pinch of salt.”
Aside from 6-year-old Louis’ words of wisdom, William also offered the team a pep talk of his own. (William and Princess Kate Middleton also share Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 9.)
“Tournament football is brutal, and it requires a lot more than you’ve already given,” he said, explaining that Euro 2024 will be “difficult,” “fun” and “challenging” as the team takes on other countries.
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“I just really want you guys to know how much it means to everyone back here, that you go out there, you give it your all, you play for the shirt, play for each other, play for the country, because everyone’s behind you,” William added at the time. “We really care about what you’re going to do.”
William has never been one to shy away from sharing his love of football — especially when it comes to his loyalty for the Aston Villa team.
“I do like the values and the ethos of the club,” he explained on the “That Peter Crouch Podcast” in July 2020. “I want them to look after the players and set a good example to the young fans. 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.”
