Prince William and Princess Charlotte’s godfather took a trip to Monaco
This weekend Prince William took a trip to Monaco to watch his favorite team, Aston Villa of Birmingham, take on AS Monaco in tense match. On Tuesday, the prince attended a UEFA Champions League match at Stade Louis II with two of his friends, Thomas van Straubenzee And Nicholas van Cutsem. Although Aston Villa’s season so far has been a dream come true for William—a team supporter since his teenage years – he looked dejected as the match ended in a win for Monaco, 1–0.
Van Straubanzee and van Cutsem are longtime friends of William’s and were both guests at his 2011 wedding to William. Kate Middleton. Van Straubanzee is one Princess Charlottegodparent of, while van Cutsem is godparent of Prince Louis. William was last seen in Aston Villa’s match with van Straubenzee and van Cutsem last October, when the group of players came out to watch the team take on Bayern Munich at their home ground. In April 2024just a few weeks later Kate announces her cancer diagnosisWilliam took his son away, Prince George, to watch a match at Villa Park.
As of Wednesday, Aston Villa are competing for a place in the top four of the Premier League and have won seven of their last 12 matches in the Champions League. It was a strong performance from the team and William was enthusiastic. Last week, William stopped off at a Wetherspoons eatery in Birmingham to meet a group of Aston Villa fans before they took on Everton. According to Daily mail, William sipped Bulmer’s strong cider and bought a beer for the eight fans he spoke to. “He’s amazing. I was quite surprised at his level of commitment and interest in the club. He’s not a fan of nice weather. He really loves the club with a strong passion,” one fan told the tabloid. “Boy George is a Villa fan but he doesn’t want all three of them to be Villa fans.”
The prince’s love for the little-known team was first made public when he was spotted wearing Aston Villa’s red and blue hat in 1998. William’s fondness for the team has its origins from a bit of historical coincidence. The last time Aston Villa won the Champions League was in May 1982, about a month before William was born.
During a 2020 podcast appearance, William explained that when he was a teenager, his friends convinced him to start supporting the team because of a coincidence. “They told me about the history of the club and its importance – and they had won the European Cup [in ’82],” William he said. “It all started from there. I don’t know what it is. I feel a real connection to the club, more so than when I watch some other clubs.”
