Prince William will not be present to cheer on England in the UEFA European Championship semifinals on Wednesday, July 10. According to Hello! magazine, the Prince of Wales, 42, has a work commitment that prevents him from traveling to Germany for the game. The England men’s national soccer team will face the Netherlands for a chance to appear in the Euro 2024 finals.
William previously made headlines for his enthusiastic reaction to England’s 5-3 victory over Switzerland on Saturday, July 6. Photographers captured the prince cheering for his team from a private box, dressed in his signature suit and tie, and high-fiving other attendees.
It’s well-known that William is a passionate soccer fan. Before England headed to the tournament, the future king met with the players and shared a humorous piece of advice from his youngest son, Prince Louis. “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. “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. “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 to 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.”
England is set to take on the Netherlands on Wednesday night, July 10, to fight for their spot in the Euro 2024 finals, but unfortunately, their ‘lucky mascot’ Prince William will not be attending. Fans saw the Prince of Wales share his distress during the tense penalty shootout against Switzerland over the weekend, as pictures of his facial expressions went viral.
However, William will reportedly not be traveling to the semi-final in Germany due to work commitments. As President of the FA and an avid Aston Villa fan, it’s no doubt the future King will be disappointed to miss the highly anticipated semi-final.
During the weekend, the Prince cheered on the England squad at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, along with 50,000 football fans. He was also in the stands for England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark in Frankfurt during the group stages of the Euros. Saturday’s quarter-final saw England go through by winning 5-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
After the game, William was seen congratulating the players, as he was spotted with players including Bukayo Saka and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who both scored penalties during the tense shootout. “Nail biting to the very end. Well done @England! Semi-finals here we come! We believe. W,” the Prince wrote on social media after the game.
If the Three Lions go on to beat the Netherlands in Wednesday’s semi-final, they will take on Spain in the final on Sunday. On Tuesday night, Spain beat France 2-1 to secure their place in the 2024 finals. If the England team were to go all the way, it would fix the heartbreak of millions of fans after they lost to Italy in the 2021 finals after a penalty shootout.
Prince William was in attendance at the Wembley final three years ago, which he called “heartbreaking.” Captioning a photo of the team reposted on his Instagram account at the time, the Prince penned: “@England, you’ve all come so far, but sadly this time it wasn’t our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves — I know there’s more to come. W.”
William was joined by his wife Kate Middleton and eldest child Prince George during the final, as the visibly sad young Prince was comforted by his parents after the heartbreaking loss. George wasn’t by his dad’s side during the 2024 quarter-final, although fans will be hoping for his presence should the team make it to the final.
Prince William is set to miss the Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday, which will see England face the Netherlands for a place in the grand final on Sunday. HELLO! understands that the Prince of Wales will not be traveling to Germany, where this year’s tournament is held, due to work commitments.
A keen football fan and President of the FA, the royal will no doubt be disappointed to miss out on the crucial match, which follows Saturday’s tense quarter-final. The game saw the Three Lions win 5-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
William was pictured cheering from the sidelines at Dusseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena. He was also seen giggling at an amusing sign held up by a Swiss fan in the crowd – “God Save The Cheese.” After the game, the Prince congratulated the players in the tunnel, with photos showing William shaking hands and embracing the likes of Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and John Stones.
Taking to social media after the result, William penned: “Nail biting to the very end. Well done @England! Semi-finals here we come! We believe. W.”
It’s been a busy few weeks for the royal. On Tuesday, the Prince paid a visit to his former air base in Anglesey, North Wales, where he lived as a newlywed with his wife, the Princess of Wales, while serving as an RAF search and rescue pilot. He made the trip as part of his new role as Royal Honorary Air Commodore, a position he took over from King Charles in August last year.
Earlier this month, William joined his father in Scotland for a string of festivities that is traditionally dubbed ‘Royals Week.’ The events included a meeting of the Order of the Thistle, an order of chivalry associated with Scotland.
Amid William’s busy schedule, he continues to support his wife Kate amid her ongoing treatment for cancer. In a recent update ahead of her appearance at Trooping the Colour, Kate said that while she hopes to join “a few” public engagements over the summer, she is “not out of the woods yet” and will undergo treatment for a “few more months.”
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” the mum-of-three said in a statement. “On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
The 42-year-old continued: “My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.”
Source: Hello! Magazine, USA Today, Talk Sport
