Villa Park on daughter's birthday, favourite star - Prince William's life as Aston Villa superfan

Prince William is set to be at Villa Park for Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


When he was at school, Prince William didn't know what football team to support.

While his friends were either Manchester United or Chelsea fans, William wasn't keen on joining them and preferred to follow someone who wasn't a so-called 'run of the mill team'. After careful consideration, William decided to support Aston Villa - a club that, at the time, were fighting for a place in the European Cup.

And now, decades of pain and struggles later, William will finally watch Villa play in Europe's elite club competition when his team face Bayern Munich in a mouthwatering Champions League encounter on Wedneday night. The Prince of Wales will be in attendance at Villa Park as Unai Emery's side bid to make it two wins from two matches on their return to the biggest stage after their 3-0 success over Young Boys.

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William, who was alongside ex-Manchester United midfielder David Beckham at The London Air Ambulance Charity earlier this week, presented the likes of Ally McCoist and Karen Carney with OBEs at Windsor Castle on Wednesday before making the trip up to the Midlands for Villa's clash against Bayern.

In a post on Twitter, formerly known as X, McCoist said: "Such a proud moment for myself and my family, I am humbled to be receiving my OBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle today.

"Thank you for all the support and messages it means so much. Did we speak about @AVFCOfficial?? That’s between the Prince and I," followed with a winky face emoji.

Carney revealed Prince William is set to be in attendance for Villa's game against Bayern.

William is a passionate Villa supporter, there is no doubt about. Having attended one of his first games in the FA Cup against Bolton in 2000, William has experienced many ups and down over the years. Four years ago, William was at the Carabao Cup final between Villa and Manchester City - a game in which his team lost 2-1.

Last season, Williams was often spotted at Villa's Europa Conference League matches. He was pictured at Villa Park during the semi-final first-leg against Olympiacos back in May, which fell on the same day as his daughter, Princess Charlotte, celebrated her ninth birthday. His other child, Prince George, was at the quarter-final first-leg fixture against Lille and has grown up to support the same team as his father. George, who turned 11 back in July, also attended the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in April 2023.

The Prince of Wales at Aston Villa vs Olympiacos on Princess Charlotte's birthday
The Prince of Wales at Aston Villa vs Olympiacos on Princess Charlotte's birthday -Credit:David Davies/PA Wire

Explaining back in 2015 why he chose Villa, William told the BBC: "A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams.

"I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea.

"It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time. It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with."

Alongside following his team from the stands, William has also incorporated his support into his wardrobe having often been seen sporting a claret tie. One of these occasions included his sister-in-law Pippa Middleton’s wedding in May 2017. William's support has been welcomed at Villa over the years, with former boss Steve Bruce admitting it was "great" to have him on board.

Speaking in February 2020, Prince William revealed his favourite player is Tyrone Mings, who is unfortunately set to miss the match against Bayern due to injury.

Having won the European Cup in 1982, Villa competed in the competition in the following season but haven't played in it since then. Wednesday night's clash against Bundesliga giants Bayern marks the club's first home game in Europe's top club tournament for 41 years and William - like most Villa fans - will be hoping they can get the best possible result in front of the home support.