Prince William attends a soccer game in Monaco solo following Kate Middleton’s remission news
On January 21, Prince William made a long-awaited trip to Monaco to watch Aston Villa face AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League.
The 42-year-old Prince of Wales fulfilled a personal dream by supporting his favorite soccer team abroad, shortly after his wife Kate Middleton shared the news of her remission from cancer on January 14.
William, eager to see Villa compete in this rare European Cup appearance, was accompanied by his close friends Thomas van Straubenzee, one of Princess Charlotte’s godfathers, and Nicholas van Cutsem, who has been a lifelong friend and godfather to Prince Louis.
Although the prince and his friends were visibly engaged in cheering on the team, they were disappointed as Villa lost 1-0.
The match held a special connection to William’s personal history, as he was born in 1982, the same year Aston Villa last won the European Cup.
This year, with Villa’s return to the competition after many years, William has made it a point to attend several of their matches.
Prince William has previously shared how his birth year and Aston Villa’s success influenced his decision to support the team.
“I was born in ’82, and my friends were determined to get me behind Villa—ultimately, they succeeded,” he revealed on the *That Peter Crouch Podcast* in 2020.
“They talked to me about the club’s rich history and how important it was—especially with their European Cup victory that year. From there, I developed a strong connection with Villa, something I didn’t feel with other teams.”
He also admitted that his attraction to Villa stemmed from a desire to avoid supporting more mainstream teams.
“I really didn’t want to follow Manchester United or Chelsea like everyone else in school. I liked that Villa had a real legacy,” he explained to Peter Crouch.
His support for Villa continued in Europe after he surprised local fans in Birmingham on January 15, ahead of their 1-0 victory over Everton.
During his visit, William arranged a fan meetup at a Wetherspoons pub and treated them to drinks before the match. His time in Birmingham coincided with his attendance at the College of Paramedics’ inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference.
Afterward, he traveled to Monaco on Tuesday, following a visit to Centrepoint, the homelessness charity he has supported for 20 years, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana.
William’s next royal engagement will take him to Liverpool on January 23, where he will spend the day in the northwest city.