Prince William has declared he 'will find a way' to watch his beloved Aston Villa compete in next week's Europa League final in Turkey. The Prince of Wales, 43, was present at Villa Park for the semi-final second leg last week, where he celebrated enthusiastically after a 4-0 victory overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Nottingham Forest.
Historic European Achievement
The match marks Aston Villa's first major European tournament final since 1982. The future King was seen clapping and celebrating with nearby fans, and even joined in post-match singing, belting out Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline' as captured by TNT Sports cameras.
Although confirmation is pending, insiders indicate he is highly likely to attend the Wednesday match against German side Freiburg in Istanbul. A victory would secure the Prince's team their first major trophy in 30 years.
Royal Sources and Reactions
A Kensington Palace source remarked: 'Did you see his face last week? He will find a way.' The source highlighted the raw emotion visible as Villa scored their third goal. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery revealed that Prince William joined the post-match celebrations in the dressing room with the team on Thursday night. Emery told the Telegraph that the Prince is 'so happy as well.'
Despite the late-night revelry, Prince William attended royal duties at Buckingham Palace the following morning. He co-hosted a garden party with his wife, the Princess of Wales, on behalf of King Charles. He admitted to feeling tired, noting 'bags under the eyes.'
The Princess of Wales, 44, confessed that their children—Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8—were allowed to stay up late to watch the victory. She said the children 'all make so much noise' while watching football and wished to attend the game, but 'we let them stay up and watch it.'
The Prince of Wales serves as patron of the Football Association and has supported Aston Villa since childhood.
