Prince William faced sickening anti-royal chants celebrating the death of his grandmother the Queen and taunts about his brother Prince Harry last night.
Celtic supporters sang ‘Lizzie’s in a box’ as the Prince of Wales saw them play his beloved Aston Villa – a decision that could see them banned from their next Champions League match.
Fans of the staunchly Catholic Glasgow club, some of whom also support Scottish independence and others hailing from the Republic of Ireland, also chanted ‘If you hate the Royal family, clap your hands’.
They displayed an Irish flag-themed banner glorifying Michael Fagan, who broke into Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom at Buckingham Palace in July 1982, weeks after William was born.
‘Michael Fagan The Prowler’, the flag said, and Celtic fans are known to have chanted ‘Michael Fagan sorry for your loss’ and ‘f*** the Coronation’ when the Queen died.
William brushed off last night’s chants, including some about his estranged brother Harry, cheering wildly as Villa won 4-2 despite even missing a penalty.
Villa fans had showed their support for the Windsors and their most famous fan.
They sang ‘God Save the King’ and held up Union Flags in response to Celtic’s chants. British flags were also put up around and outside the historic Villa Park stadium.
Prince William (pictured yesterday), 42, joined thousands of supporters in the stands at Villa Park in Birmingham on Wednesday night, before celebrating the club’s 4-2 victory at full-time
Villa won the crucial game against Celtic, much to the delight of the future King
The away supporters also held up an Irish flag banner in the stand that celebrated Michael Fagan, the intruder who entered Queen Elizabeth II’s Buckingham Palace bedroom, days after William was born. A Palestinian flag was also on show
But Celtic fans bombarded the British heir to the throne with anti-royal chants throughout the game, including ones about the Prince’s brother, the Duke of Sussex, according to The Telegraph
In response, Villa fans sang the United Kingdom’s national anthem ‘God Save the King’ and held up Union Flags in support of the future King and his family
Prince William, 42, joined thousands of supporters in the stands at Villa Park in Birmingham on Wednesday night.
But Celtic fans bombarded the British heir to the throne with anti-royal chants throughout the game, including ones about the Prince’s brother, the Duke of Sussex, according to The Telegraph.
It comes after Celtic was fined in October 2022 over ‘provocative’ anti-monarchy banners displayed by their fans at a Champions League match less than a week after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
One banner spotted among the Hoops’ section of the ground in their match against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland on September 14 stated ‘F**k the crown’.
Another read ‘Sorry For Your Loss Michael Fagan,’ a reference to the man who broke into the Queen’s bedroom in 1982.
The Scottish champions were fined 15,000 euros (just over £13,000) by UEFA’s control, ethics and disciplinary body over what was described as ‘a message not fit for a sporting event (ie a provocative banner)’.
BT Sport apologised after pre-match television footage honed in on the offensive banner before swiftly cutting away.
No minute’s silence was held at the match played in Warsaw though both Celtic and Shakhtar players did wear black armbands in Her late Majesty’s memory.
Fagan famously managed to scale the Buckingham Palace walls before creeping into Her late Majesty’s bedroom while she slept in 1982.
The then painter and decorator, who has schizophrenia, spent around 10 minutes talking to the monarch about his family.
The late monarch reportedly thought Fagan was just a drunk member of staff, who was eventually tackled by a duty footman.
Prince William has been a fan of Aston Villa since his school days and attends matches as often as he can to show his support for Unai Emery’s side.
Yesterday was no different, as the royal remained on the edge of his seat while watching the 90-minute game that ended in a thrilling victory for the hosts.
William, who looked dapper in a navy overcoat and a shirt, was clearly getting into the game as he held his head in his hands
William was clearly delighted with the win. Prince George, who also loves the Villa, was absent for the midweek game but has attended several games in the pas
Union flags were put up around the ground, including outside the famous Holte pub
A God Save The King banner outside Villa Park last night
William, who looked dapper in a navy overcoat and a shirt, was clearly getting into the game as he held his head in his hands, before springing out of his seat when the second goal was confirmed and pumping his fists in the air.
The future King, who often takes his son Prince George to football games, has even admitted to losing his voice from cheering Aston Villa on previous occasions.
Two weeks ago, William surprised punters when he popped in for a pint of cider at a Wetherspoons located at Birmingham New Street Station.
During his visit, he spoke to Aston Villa fans ahead of the team’s match against Everton – one of whom later revealed that William uses a ‘secret name’ online to follow the latest news and transfer rumours on fan forums
Fellow supporter Steve Jones told the Athletic: ‘He said he keeps abreast of Villa gossip because he is on all the fans’ forums.
‘He goes under different names and he posts on there because that’s how he gets the feeling of what’s going on and what’s the opinion,’ Jones recalled.
