The Prince of Wales met a young Aston Villa supporter during the Earthshot Prize event held at The Mall and reacted in an unexpected way, imitating the famous "goggles" celebration of Aston Villa player John McGinn.
William, a known Aston Villa supporter, was captured on camera on Tuesday (October 13) mingling with well wishers when he came across the football fan. The moment was shared on social media this week, with a translation noting: "Prince William imitated the famous 'goggles' celebration of Aston Villa player John McGinn when he met a young Villa fan during the Earthshot Prize event held at The Mall."
Unexpected interaction with fan
In the footage, William asked the fan: "Can you make the goggles?" He then demonstrated the gesture, putting his hands around his eyes. The fan copied him, and William smiled, responding: "Good man. Love it."
The moment has been well received by fans, who think it shows how fun he truly is. One person posted a series of clapping hands emojis, while another laughed, adding: "What is happening?" Underneath other photos, someone replied: "The future." A fourth commented: "Outstanding," and another wrote: "Prince William. A proper Villa fan."
McGinn's signature celebration
John McGinn's signature goal celebration is the "goggles" gesture, where he cups his thumbs and index fingers upside down in front of his eyes. William replicated this during the interaction with the fan.
This comes after the Prince appeared to have a fun afternoon outside Buckingham Palace, where he was spotted playing street cricket and posing for selfies with well wishers. On Tuesday, William, 44, gathered cricket legends such as former England captain Joe Root and former Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane for a star-studded pickup game on The Mall in London.
Earthshot Prize celebrations
The event was held in celebration of Prince William's upcoming Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Mumbai, India, next month. He also had the chance to show off his cricket skills.
Following the event, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared pictures on Instagram with the caption: "Celebrating The Earthshot Prize heading to Mumbai with a game of cricket on the Mall! A pleasure welcoming cricketers from the UK and India to recognise the important role sport can play in bringing people together and inspiring positive action."
