{"id":946587,"date":"2026-05-08T18:03:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T18:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/946587\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T18:03:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T18:03:24","slug":"prince-williams-admission-about-prince-george-as-future-king-shows-his-true-colours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/946587\/","title":{"rendered":"Prince William&#8217;s admission about Prince George as future King shows his true colours"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Prince William&#8217;s love for Aston Villa was on full display as they reached the Europa League final at Villa Park, where son George has been seen accompanying him before<\/p>\n<p>13:59, 08 May 2026Updated 13:59, 08 May 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Prince William, Prince of Wales celebrates during the UEFA Europa League 2025\/26 Semi-Final Second Leg match between Aston Villa FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Villa Park\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2_Aston-Villa-FC-v-Nottingham-Forest-FC-UEFA-Europa-League-202526-Semi-Final-Second-Leg.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Aston Villa fan Prince William was in attendance as his club reached the Europa League final\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Aston Villa fan Prince William was in attendance as his club reached the Europa League final(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Aston Villa had royalty in the building as they powered their way into the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/uefa-europa-league\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Europa League<\/a> final. And <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/prince-william\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Prince William<\/a> was unabashed in his support for the club as <a aria-label=\"Unai EmeryLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/unai-emery\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Unai Emery<\/a>&#8216;s men roared to within 90 minutes of continental silverware on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Having lost the opening leg of their semi-final 1-0, <a aria-label=\"Villa redeemed themselves with a 4-0 hammeringLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/match-reports\/aston-villa-nottingham-forest-highlights-37126745\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Villa redeemed themselves with a 4-0 hammering<\/a> of <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/nottingham-forest-fc\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Nottingham Forest<\/a> in the return fixture. Their reward is a Europa League decider against Freiburg on May 20 after the Bundesliga outfit edged past Braga.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">An English team will feature in each of this season&#8217;s three European finals in a proud campaign for the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/premier-league\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Premier League<\/a>. <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/arsenal-fc\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Arsenal<\/a> will contest the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/champions-league\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Champions League<\/a> against titleholders Paris Saint-Germain, while <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/crystal-palace-fc\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Crystal Palace<\/a> will meet Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League crescendo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But Villa die-hard Prince William only had eyes for what transpired at Villa Park as he watched his side earn their vengeance over Forest. Two goals from John McGinn topped off a historic night following earlier goals from Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia, with the heir to the throne doing little to hide his glee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mirrorfootball\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football&#8217;s Facebook page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">As for his children, Prince William has taken a hands-off approach and will not force his own fandom on any of his offspring. <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/prince-george\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Prince George<\/a> <a aria-label=\"attended last year&#039;s Champions League clash away to PSGLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/news\/breaking-prince-william-george-championsleague-35027199\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">attended last year&#8217;s Champions League clash away to PSG<\/a> with his dad, but the future King later told TNT Sports pundit <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/rio-ferdinand\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Rio Ferdinand<\/a> he wouldn&#8217;t make any demands.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37126745\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/match-reports\/aston-villa-nottingham-forest-highlights-37126745\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aston Villa hammer hapless Nottingham Forest to reach Europa League final in style<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36815774\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/news\/aston-villa-prince-william-carew-36815774\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Prince William played key role in convincing Aston Villa cult hero to complete transfer<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">When quizzed on whether he would push his son to support Villa, Prince William insisted he wouldn&#8217;t meddle. And not just in George&#8217;s case; he would grant all his children the freedom to back whichever team they wanted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I\u2019m genuinely open to whoever they support,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I\u2019m a bit biased but also they come to Villa games so they\u2019re probably going to support Villa. I\u2019ve left the other two at home tonight so we\u2019ll wait and see who they support.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales with Prince George of Wales attend the 2026 Easter Matins Service at St George's Chapel\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_GettyImages-2269334495.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Prince William insisted he and the Princess of Wales' children are free to support whomever they like\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Prince William insisted he and the Princess of Wales&#8217; children are free to support whomever they like(Image: Mark Cuthbert\/UK Press via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package<\/p>\n<p>This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/affiliates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Content Image\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769649552_171_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Prince of Wales has said in the past he <a aria-label=\"grew up with friends who supported Villa and joined the bandwagonLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/news\/prince-william-support-aston-villa-33812861\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">grew up with friends who supported Villa and joined the bandwagon<\/a>. He has also said he prioritised supporting a mid-table team that would assure more &#8220;rollercoaster, emotional moments.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It just so happens the 43-year-old was born less than a month after Villa&#8217;s last continental triumph. They toppled <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/bayern-munich\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Bayern Munich<\/a> in Rotterdam in May 1982, shortly before the late <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/princess-diana\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Princess Diana<\/a> gave birth to her first child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The first Villa fixture Prince William attended was an <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/fa-cup\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">FA Cup<\/a> semi-final win over Bolton in 2000. They won that fixture on penalties and advanced to meet <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/chelsea-fc\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Chelsea<\/a> in the final, where they were edged out by a lone goal from Roberto Di Matteo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A little more than a quarter of a century later, Villa will once again feature in a major final later this month. And Emery will hope to lift silverware in front of a royal procession as he looks to get his hands on the Europa League crown for the fifth time in his career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Feq1SEG6mXDIZGTTnek7oz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> and receive your daily dose of <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Mirror<\/a> <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Football<\/a> content. 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