It’s well know that the heir to the throne is a dedicated Aston Villa supporter, but how did Prince William’s team choice come about?
William is a frequent attendee at football matches both in his guise as a Villa fan and in his role as the figurehead of England’s Football Association. He can be seen getting behind the Villa team as often as dishing out medals to cup winners at Wembley.
It can be easy to assume fans with no real background in the game would be tempted to start out as a gloryhunter, but the successor to King Charles shunned the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, clubs that are more popular among his friends and family.
In 2015, William told former England striker Gary Lineker how it came to be that he turned claret and blue.
“A long time ago at school I got into football big time,” he said in a BBC Sport interview.
“I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans, and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams. I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”
William was at school in Berkshire and it was there that he chose not to follow Arsenal, the team of choice for many of the Royal Family, or even Burnley, the team apparently backed by the King.
When William was 17, he attended his first Villa game at Wembley. It was the FA Cup semi-final against Bolton Wanderers in 2000, a tie they won on penalties.
The future King is a Villan
“I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa, and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000,” he said.
“Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea [in the final].
“It was fantastic; I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time. It was the atmosphere and the camaraderie, and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.”
The royal’s affection for Villa has only grown in the quarter of a century since. He can often be found watching on at Villa Park with his friends and his eldest son, George, who shares William’s passion for football and Villa.
His privileged position means he can go to places regular supporters can’t. He’s been known to visit Bodymoor Heath to see various Villa managers and their players at the training ground, dining and socialising with the team.
The Duke of Cambridge has been seen at matches with former Villa striker John Carew but has identified his favourite player as a revered defender from before his time supporting the club.
Republic of Ireland international Paul McGrath played for Villa between 1989 and 1996, winning the Coca-Cola Cup twice. He won the PFA Player of the Year award as a Villa player and is regarded as one of the club’s greatest players of all time.