Prince William, a devoted Aston Villa supporter, has admitted to using a pseudonym to engage with fellow fans on online forums dedicated to the club. The Prince of Wales, aged 43, is eagerly anticipating the Europa League final tonight, where Villa will face German side SC Freiburg.
Royal Fan's Secret Online Identity
William has long been open about his passion for the West Midlands club. He was present at Villa Park to witness Villa's emphatic 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, which secured their place in the final. The future king was visibly emotional as the team ended their 30-year wait for a major trophy. Like many supporters, he has spent days contemplating the upcoming clash and has confessed to using a different name to participate in fan forums.
His allegiance to Villa dates back to an FA Cup semi-final in 2000, when Villa triumphed over Bolton Wanderers. Last year, it emerged that the Prince of Wales goes by an alias online, leaving fans astonished by his extensive knowledge.
Meeting Fans in Birmingham
In January 2025, William traveled to Birmingham and met supporters at a Wetherspoons pub in Grand Central Station. Enjoying a Bulmers cider, he spent half an hour discussing the team with fans ahead of Villa's match against Everton.
Steve Jones, a Villa fan of 35 years, revealed that the Prince of Wales "keeps abreast of Villa gossip because he is on all the fans' forums." Jones added, "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 continued, "He had a vast knowledge of Villa. We brought up a couple of topics and he was very eloquent. He didn't have to look up to his aides, he knew everything. We spoke about the recent West Ham game and the changes [Unai] Emery made in the second half."
In-Depth Football Insights
Speaking to the Athletic, Jones elaborated: "He started talking about double pivots and how Emery moved Youri Tielemans' position. We were like 'What?' He was talking about possible transfers, who might leave and who might come. We spoke about PSR (profit and sustainability rules) and Chelsea selling their women's team. He admitted he would love to have more opinions on certain things within the game but he can't in his role as president of the FA."
Prince William will be hoping that captain John McGinn can lead Villa to glory in the Europa League final. The match is set to be a thrilling encounter as Villa seeks to end their trophy drought.
