Prince William, the Prince of Wales and a devoted Aston Villa supporter, has marked his 20th anniversary as President and Patron of the Football Association (FA) by meeting players and officials at Wembley Stadium ahead of the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Pre-Match Engagements
Before kick-off, the prince was seen in the tunnel alongside both sets of players, later formally greeting them and the match officials on the pitch. He is scheduled to present the trophy to the winning team at full time.
Earlier this week, William received a special gift to commemorate his two decades as FA President. He assumed the role in 2006, succeeding his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Celebrations and Engagements
William visited England manager Thomas Tuchel and his backroom staff at St George's Park, where he was presented with an England shirt bearing the number 20, symbolising his 20 years of dedication. England are set to begin their World Cup campaign on June 17 against Croatia in Texas.
Among the spectators at Wembley was Oasis legend Noel Gallagher, a passionate Manchester City fan. City entered the final as strong favourites, aiming to secure a domestic cup double. Manager Pep Guardiola has won the FA Cup six times since arriving in Manchester a decade ago. Chelsea, meanwhile, are competing in the final under their third manager of the year, Calum McFarlane, following the departures of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.
Royal Family and Football
The future king has previously attended football matches with his eldest son, Prince George, including the 2024 FA Cup final. Their most recent outing together was in January, when they cheered on Aston Villa against FC Salzburg in Birmingham.
A Villa fan since his school days, William once told Prince George he could support any club except Chelsea. However, in a 2019 interview on A Berry Royal Christmas, he admitted his son had chosen Chelsea. Speaking to TNT Sports during Aston Villa's Champions League quarter-final against Paris-Saint Germain last season, William softened his stance, saying he was open to whichever club his children supported, though he hoped they would follow Villa.
During Frank Lampard's first stint as Chelsea manager in 2020, William remarked on That Peter Crouch podcast: "It's about finding what fits for him. Previously, I was a bit concerned about him supporting Chelsea, but now Frank's come in, I feel the culture's a bit different at Chelsea and I'd be okay with it. I do like the values and the ethos of the clubs. I want them to look after the players and set a good example to young fans."
