Prince William and Prince George have been spotted at Villa Park ahead of their beloved Aston Villa’s crunch Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Prince of Wales, 42, looked pensive as he clutched a drink in a hospitality box, while Prince George, 11, wore a half-and-half scarf featuring the emblems of the two sides.
Prince William has been a regular at Aston Villa’s matches this season, both domestically and in Europe.
Both William and George attended the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final in Paris last Wednesday, which the hosts won 3-1.
The pair went through an emotional rollercoaster during the first half of the match at the Parc des Princes.
Prince William and George launched into celebrations when Morgan Rogers gave Aston Villa a first half lead against PSG, only for the hosts to equalise through a superb Desire Doue strike.
Prince William and Prince George have been spotted at Villa Park ahead of the Champions League clash between Aston Villa and PSG
Prince William explained how he wanted to make special memories with George as the pair attended Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against PSG in Paris
The royals celebrated as Aston Villa took a first half lead through Morgan Rogers against PSG
Prince William had been invited to the quarter-final first leg by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The Prince of Wales had joined TNT Sports pundits Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist ahead of taking his seat.
He explained how the tie would help to create ‘special memories’ with Prince George.
In response to Ferdinand’s question as to whether it was a ‘lads’ trip’, Prince William insisted he was on his ‘best behaviour’ in the French capital.
‘I’m not sure how many Villa fans there will be but they will make themselves well known,’ Prince William said.
‘I have got my son here too so I am on best behaviour but 43 years since this has happened and I want George to experience a night out in a big competition, those memories are really important to create and bringing him away is important.
‘I am open to who they support, I am biased but they come to games with Villa so it will likely be Villa, but I have left the other two at home probably watching on TV. We will see who they support.’
Prince William, who also Patron of The FA, predicted Unai Emery’s side would secure a 2-1 victory in the first leg to boost their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Prince William spoke of how he wanted George to experience a ‘big away night’ in Europe
Prince William joined TNT Sports team ahead of the crunch match at the Parc des Princes last week
The Prince of Wales also visited the team last month and was seen speaking to Morgan Rogers
He, however, admitted to being ‘pretty terrified’ ahead of facing the French champions with PSG having impressed throughout the Champions League to date.
‘It has been a while coming so it is a big game, 43 years since this happened, but I am confident and excited by the prospect,’ he told TNT Sports. ‘I am wearing all my clothes and bits and pieces and have done my routines.’
Prince William was also seen in the tunnel before kick-off and hugged Aston Villa and England forward Marcus Rashford as the players made their way to the changing rooms following the warm-ups.
Aston Villa face a tough task as they look to overturn the two-goal deficit from the first leg in Paris and reach the semi-finals of European football’s premier club competition.
Prince William’s attendance at the game in Birmingham comes after insiders close to Prince Harry revealed his rift with the Royal Family is deepening – claiming he was left in the dark about his father King Charles’s cancer battle.
The Duke of Sussex’s calls to family members including his elder brother Prince William are also ignored, new reports today have suggested.
People magazine in the US quotes sources close to Harry as describing the ongoing ‘strained’ relationship with his father five years after the Duke and his wife Meghan Markle quit frontline royal duties and moved to California.
Palace insiders were also quoted on the estrangement since so-called ‘Megxit’ in 2020 – with the last face-to-face encounter between Charles and Harry being a 30-minute meeting in February last year.
Sources close to the Duke have told of his calls and letters to relatives being left unanswered.
