The past weeks have been filled with sorrow for Prince William and his children, as his wife Princess Kate courageously revealed her cancer diagnosis publicly.
In light of this difficult time, it was heartening to see the future King finding pockets of happiness, such as when he accompanied his eldest son, Prince George, to witness Aston Villa’s victory against Lille OSC in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final match last Thursday.
During the game, both William and George were visibly anxious, but also displayed moments of excitement, particularly when Ollie Watkins scored the opening goal, propelling Villa to a 1-0 lead after 13 minutes. The atmosphere was electric as Prince Charles, also in attendance, stood and applauded the team’s performance. Ultimately, Villa secured a 2-1 victory.
Prince George, sporting Villa’s signature blue-and-claret scarf, was captured on video enthusiastically cheering on the players, while his father stood by his side, offering words of encouragement.
Accompanying them was a friend of the young prince, standing on his other side. William’s allegiance to Aston Villa is well-established, having attended numerous matches over the years during his leisure time.
“A long time ago at school I got into football big time. 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,” he told Gary Lineker of why he picked the West Midlands team, rather than one closer to his home in Windsor or London.
The choice to bring George to the match coincides with the school holiday period for Easter, during which time the youngster, along with his siblings Princess Charlotte, aged eight, and Prince Louis, aged six, are on break from school.
Throughout this break, the Prince and Princess of Wales have predominantly kept to themselves, spending time privately with the three children.
This retreat follows Kate’s revelation on March 22nd that she is undergoing precautionary chemotherapy for an unspecified cancer, which was detected during post-surgery examinations following her significant abdominal operation in January.
Kensington Palace said at the time of the announcement: “The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.”
“Indeed, I’m told he popped into a pub in North Norfolk at the weekend with his mother-in-law, who is said to have been staying with the Prince and Princess of Wales for Easter,” columnist Richard Eden reported.
