The Prince of Wales is often surrounded by other devoted members of his family, be it his wife Kate, father Charles, or one of the other trusted royals within The Firm. But this week, fans witnessed a more relaxed, laid-back side to William as he gleefully sang Sweet Caroline and celebrated his beloved Aston Villa's Europa League victory alongside a cohort of lifelong friends.
The Heir's Inner Circle
This band of brothers, many of whom he has known since childhood, forms the heir's less public but possibly equally important 'inner circle'. While we are less likely to see William's old pals, including Ben 'Dawesey' Dawes, Thomas van Straubenzee, 43, and Edward van Cutsem, 53, all of whom celebrated at Tupras Stadium in Istanbul, join him at public engagements, they are very much there behind the scenes.
The Prince himself has spoken of the importance of friendships. In 2022, while chatting to footballers Harry Kane and Declan Rice about mental health, William admitted how much those connections have helped him during tough times. 'Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together through adversities,' he shared. 'And I definitely got loads of friends whose relationship started off in a team, fighting for each other and wanting to do the best for each other and the team, so it's really important that we have those moments, those people in life, that give us that support. Because there is going to be plenty of times when it's not okay and in those moments you can say listen, let's have a beer, let's sit down and chat or let's have a cup of tea and have a natter about it because I've got something on my chest, or I am bothered by this or maybe things didn't quite go as you hoped, and having those people in life is really important.'
Thomas van Straubenzee
Thomas, 43, is often known as William's 'best friend' and has known the Prince as well as his brother Harry since they attended Ludgrove School together. The van Straubenzees have often been described as being like a second family to Charles's sons, and Claire and Alex, the boys' parents, provided a retreat for the royal brothers during the 'war of the Waleses' (the King and Diana's very public and painful divorce). Their families have remained closely entwined since, from high society events to charity partnerships, godparent duties, and being ushers at each other's weddings. Thomas even accompanied William to New Zealand on his gap year. After Harry moved to California six years ago and laid bare his grievances in his memoir Spare, his connections with old friends have suffered alongside the rift with his family. Sources said William leaned on Thomas for support while Harry turned to another van Straubenzee brother, Charlie. Currently global head of the private office of estate agency Knight Frank, Thomas is also godfather to Princess Charlotte. Before his 2020 marriage to Lucy Lanigan-O'Keeffe, who was Princess Charlotte's former teacher, he had a reputation for enjoying a night out. Thomas and his wife, introduced by the Prince and Princess of Wales, share two young children, Mary and Albert.
The van Cutsem Brothers: Edward, William and Hugh
On Wednesday night, Edward van Cutsem, 53, was among the friends accompanying the Prince as he laughed, cried, and cheered on Aston Villa's victory. In one particularly playful moment, Edward, alongside his son Jake, was seen chatting and joking with the future king before patting him on the head. The sense of familiarity is no surprise: Durham university graduate and former banker Edward is a godson of King Charles III and was a page boy at his wedding to Lady Diana. While he is a longtime friend of the Waleses, the whole van Cutsem clan is close to the royals. William van Cutsem, known as 'VC' to friends, is Prince George's godfather. As a chartered surveyor, he specialises in logistics, renewable businesses, and building storage facilities across Britain. William inherited the 130,000-acre Duchy Estate when his father, King Charles, acceded the throne in September 2022. In 2024, in the Duchy's annual report, van Cutsem was said to have a 'keen interest in regenerative farming practices'. The two men own country homes 20 miles apart in Norfolk. Van Cutsem's father Hugh, a friend of King Charles, was a banker and passionate conservationist who died in 2013. Prince William is a regular visitor to van Cutsem's Hilborough House estate in Norfolk, which has won awards for conservation work. In 2013, van Cutsem married Rosie Ruck Keene, and William served as an usher. Van Cutsem's niece Grace was dubbed the 'grumpy bridesmaid' at the 2011 royal wedding, and another niece Florence was a bridesmaid at Prince Harry's wedding. Harry confirmed in Spare that he experienced a rift with some van Cutsem members who disapproved of his Oprah interview. The rift appears to have started in 2020 when Hugh Ralph's wife Rose Astor mocked Harry and Meghan's decision to step back from royal duties.
Ben 'Dawesey' Dawes
An old friend of William's, Dawes co-founded a wine business with his wife Pip and recently said he is trying to master padel 'to give myself something to think about'. It is not known exactly when the pair first connected, but they are understood to have been pals for a long time.
Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster
The Duke, one of the UK's biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie. But Harry's transatlantic dash saw him miss multiple friendship milestones, including Hugh's 2024 wedding to Olivia Henson. The billionaire aristocrat was reportedly keen to invite the Sussexes but mutually agreed that Harry should not attend to avoid overshadowing the event. Harry agreed to stay away for fear of his feud with William overshadowing the occasion. A phone call from Hugh saw Harry invited, but he reached a 'civilised understanding' to bow out, making William free to be an usher.
James Meade
James 'Badger' Meade, son of Olympic gold medallist equestrian Richard Meade, is one of Prince William's old friends from Eton. Prince Harry's infamous Nazi uniform gaffe happened at a 'Colonials and Natives' themed bash held at the Meade house for James's birthday. James has known William since childhood and calls him 'Willy'. He is also friends with Prince Harry and has maintained the relationship despite the feud. James, Guy, and Thomas van Straubenzee have been described as a 'trio of tearaway toffs'. William and Kate watched James take part in a charity boxing match in 2008, and James accompanied Kate to the Badminton Horse Trials in 2007 during her brief split from William. James and his wife Lady Laura Marsham are godparents to Princess Charlotte. In 2011, James delivered a joint best man's speech with Thomas at William and Kate's wedding.
Oliver Baker
Oliver Baker and his wife Mel were a St Andrews couple, just like William and Kate. After university, Mel shared the Middleton family flat in Chelsea with Kate. Described as 'a real rugger bugger' who played rugby with William at university, his discretion earned him the nickname 'Zipper Lips Baker'. Educated at King's Canterbury, Baker is now a strategic sourcing manager for Barclays Capital. He is one of Prince George's godparents.
Guy Pelly
'Court jester' Guy Pelly shares an unshakeable bond with Prince William and Prince Harry. When Harry wore a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party, Pelly was at his side dressed as Queen Elizabeth. He was briefly thrown out of the royal fold after being blamed for introducing Harry to drugs, but was welcomed back when proven innocent. He organised William's stag night and is known for antics like shimmying 40 feet up a marquee. William and Guy's friendship dates back to 2001 when they met during a fox hunt. William skipped the late Queen's Christmas lunch to support Pelly at his father's memorial service in 2015. Nightclub owner Pelly is godfather to Prince Louis. He has remained close to both princes and visited Harry and Meghan in California in 2020.
Harry Aubrey-Fletcher
Harry Aubrey-Fletcher is one of William's closest friends, having attended Ludgrove School and Eton with him. William and Kate attended his wedding to Louise Stourton in January 2011, just four months before their own nuptials. William served as an usher. Harry is the youngest son of Sir Henry, 8th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. His wife Louise is the daughter of Edward Stourton, the 24th Baron Stourton. The couple attended Prince Louis's christening in 2018. Aubrey-Fletcher made headlines in 2013 for playfully tugging on Prince William's ear during Cheltenham Festival, a prank enjoyed by Kate.
