​In the early hours of Monday morning, like countless other football enthusiasts, the Prince of Wales remained in Windsor to witness England’s memorable victory over Mexico. From Forest Lodge, his family home on the Windsor estate, he endured the match’s late start, the electric atmosphere of the Azteca Stadium, and the nerve-wracking finale as England, down to ten men, clung to their slender advantage. He had watched every other England match as well, as you would expect from the Patron of the Football Association. He knows the England setup intimately and has maintained direct contact with players and staff throughout the tournament—several England players even have Prince William’s personal phone number. If England reach the World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19, Prince William will travel as an official representative of the FA and as the royal family’s most devoted football aficionado.
No royal has ever demonstrated a love for football quite like Prince William. His passion for the game has often surfaced most vividly on the royal’s social media channels. Royal posts are typically measured—aimed at outlining the day’s engagements, sharing clips of speeches, or posting official comments alongside the best photographs of events. Yet on May 20 this year, Prince William’s official accounts loosened their reins just a touch. They erupted with a spirited exclamation, “UTV! VTID,” accompanied by a red love heart and a muscular arm emoji. For the uninitiated, that shorthand translates to “Up the Villa” and “Villa Till I Die”—far from your standard royal update. The messages appeared with a “W,” signaling they came directly from William, and were posted minutes after his beloved Aston Villa had triumphed in the Europa League final with a convincing 3-0 victory over Freiburg of Germany. Aston Villa’s European title was their first in 44 years, the club having captured the European Cup in 1982—the year William was born.
William attended this year’s final in Istanbul with a close-knit group of friends who share his Villa obsession, including Ben Dawes, Thomas van Straubenzee, and Edward van Cutsem. They’ve long been regulars at Villa matches. One family friend even persuaded him to adopt Aston Villa as his team during his teenage years. In the Europa League final post-match moment, William’s joy was palpable—the celebrations were unrestrained, the kind of exuberant outpouring football fans recognize as “limbs”: shouting, leaping, and embracing those nearby in unrestrained jubilation.
In his post-match interview, Villa captain John McGinn highlighted their royal supporter. “He’s a classy guy,” McGinn remarked. “He was in the dressing room before the game and he’s a massive Villa fan. He wasn’t going to miss it, and it’s great to have his support.” The prince’s presence and enthusiasm for Aston Villa are well known among players and fans alike, reinforcing his status as a rare royal who wears his football loyalties openly and proudly.