It turns out royalty doesn’t make you immune to the same Game Day fears that plague all sports fans. Even Prince William — the future King of England — finds himself nervously pacing when a soccer game (or should we say, “football match”) isn’t going his way.
After recently watching his beloved Aston Villa win the quarter-finals IRL, the Prince of Wales spoke to The Sun about what it’s like watching the game at Adelaide Cottage or Kensington Palace.
“If I’m home alone with the children, I probably don’t have the pre-match pint but I do have a bit of superstition about where I sit when I’m watching them,” he said, meaning he doesn’t start drinking if he’s on Dad Duty.
“If we’re not doing very well,” he continued, “I start moving round the house quite quickly and I put the children in different positions hoping that’s going to change our luck.”
Anyone who is (or lives with) a major sports fan knows how relatable this “superstition” is. For some reason, there’s this feeling that frantically pacing and moving everyone’s seats will make things better. Because clearly the current setup isn’t working!
He didn’t say how his kids Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, feel about having to change positions, but we imagine his eldest is OK with it. Prince George, 11, is also a proud Aston Villa fan, so he is probably pacing alongside his dad if things are going poorly.
Last April, Prince William told reporters in a post-game interview that the second in line to the throne has joined “the pride” — the name for truly devoted fans.
“He’s loving it,” the dad of three said.
Time will tell if Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will join the Aston Villa Pride. Though they all have team merch, Prince William is supposedly OK if they reach for a different jersey down the line.
“I’m kind of hoping they’ll all find their own teams in time,” he said in his recent interview. “They don’t all have to be Villa fans.”
“I’m trying not to be biased but obviously they see how passionate I am about it and they watch the matches with me,” he continued. “I’m trying to spread the love a little bit.” Now the question is, if the young royals pick different teams — perhaps a team that seems to be beating the Villa — will they no longer comply with their dad’s plea to move seats? Will they disregard his superstitions and sabotage his plan?
Next season, will the Wales family live in a cottage divided?
Before you go, check out Prince William’s most endearing dad moments.
