Prince William didn’t do much of anything last week. He had one semi-public event in Birmingham, where he opened up a men’s mental health center. He also had a private event at Windsor Castle. One could argue that he was trying not to pull focus from his wife, who took a whirlwind trip to Italy mid-week. But we know better – we know that getting William to do two events a week is probably like pulling teeth, and he had to be begged to leave the house. So, quelle surprise, William managed to leave the house on a Saturday!! It was obviously because of football – he attended the FA Cup final, where Man City beat Chelsea. According to the Sun, William had to get special permission from his wife to attend two football games in five days’ time.
Prince William has got a pass from wife Kate to attend two huge footie matches in the same week. Aston Villa fan Wills is at today’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Man City as FA patron.
The Prince of Wales then faces the logistical challenge of making Villa’s Europa League decider with German side Freiburg — which kicks off in Istanbul, Turkey, at 8pm on Wednesday. The 3,900-mile round trip requires two four-hour flights. Wills may have to cut short any celebrations as he is due in Cornwall for engagements hours later.
A royal source said: “We’re working hard to make it work if we can. It’s definitely not one he’s going to miss.”
The clash is Villa’s first European final since they beat Bayern Munich to win the European Cup in 1982. Fans snapped up their 10,758-ticket allocation in the 44,000-seater stadium within hours. Thousands more are expected to travel to Istanbul anyway for the game.
Few people would begrudge William enjoying a football game and/or supporting his favorite team if he actually worked hard and had regular events most days. But it feels like he’s just sleepwalking through two “work” events a week just to bide his time between football games. It’s also funny that William is perfectly capable of flying thousands of miles to support Aston Villa for fun, but he refused to fly to Australia in 2023 to support the Lionesses when they made it to the Women’s World Cup final… and that was back when he was the actual FA President too. Now his position has been downgraded to FA patron. Anyway, water is wet, William only shows up for men’s football.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty Images.
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- Chelsea v Manchester City FA Cup Final, Football, Wembley Stadium, London, UK – 16 May 2026 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales shakes hands with the teams prior to kick off. London Wembley Stadium London UK, UK NEWSPAPERS OUT Copyright: xSeanxRyanx,Image: 1099482979, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no , Credit line: IMAGO/Sean Ryan/Avalon
Doesn’t he have anything more worthwhile and less expensive to do?
Scooter was going no matter what. I doubt he asked keens permission.
That’s just the sexism of the writer leaking out. It’s so dumb.
1. He doesn’t ask his wife for permission for anything he just does what he wants! 2. It’s amazing how he is very able to travel distances to go to a game but must be cajoled to fly distances to actually work!!
He has to be cajoled to go into London from Windsor to work. I know it’s likely that he doesn’t listen, but I do not understand how he doesn’t’ realize and no one has gotten through to him, what a bad look it is at his age that the only thing he seems to do is go to pubs, football matches, and other events where he can play make-believe in tanks and airplanes like he’s 7 years old.
This is what I don’t get. Does no one on his team realize what a bad look this is, or are they just not able to get through to him? Does no one at Buckingham Palace on Charles’ team realize what a bad look this is, or are they not able to get through to KP?
He goes to football matches, drinking events, and once in a while they’ll get him out to a farm where he can say general statements about mental health and no one cares what he’s saying bc look he’s trying to cut a tree branch.
We talk about Kate being infantilized a great deal in the press and by the palaces and she definitely is, but so is the heir.
I work with someone at work who does awful work. Like really really horrible work. Everyone in my position groans when his name comes up because he is HORRIBLE. Everyone knows it. his boss has tried to fix it. Everyone in my position has tried to fix it. He’s just awful.
And what I keep saying is – how does he have no shame? He knows EVERYONE thinks his work is the worst and he just does.not.care. he doesn’t change a damn thing. I just dont get it. Out of pride alone I would try to improve.
And that’s how I feel about William. How does he have no shame? how does he not see how lazy he looks, how entitled and selfish? how does he not want to do a better job?
Its mind boggling to me.
“farm where he can say general statements about mental health and no one cares what he’s saying bc look he’s trying to cut a tree branch.”
@Becks1, It’s astonishing how tgey don’t see this. It infantalizes both of them and it’s not cute at this point. Also, it’s gotten old at this point. Both Keen and Egg follow the same pattern and they can’t let go. Like why did they feel the need to have Kate kneed pasta on an academic/scientific/fact finding whatever work trip?? I know Meghan cooks with a chef while wearing neutral colors in an Italian style kitchen, but cooking had nothing to do with this trip. Why not include clips from the conferences and meetings?? They just had to include a skit, they can’t help themselves. Do people really eat this shit up like they believe?
“Asking Kate’s permission” is part of the fabric of the myth that they are together and their marriage is normal.
Plus a healthy dose of misogyny. The old ‘ball and chain’ at home with the kids nagging away. They’re JUST like us.
Ugh.
It’s also a copy of what Harry said on one of his previous trips to the Ukraine, that he had “discussed it with his wife” before making the trip, which the UK media and their US acolytes duly spun into “Harry had to ask permission”. Except in that case they spun it as a negative because – misogyny – while in this case, it’s supposed to be endearing, while also giving the impression that they live together, as tamsin said.
If he needed “permission” then it’s more likely that it was his turn to have the children and he’s prioritising football, so words needed to be had on the issue. 😀
He supposedly went into the changing rooms again and met the teams in the tunnel – it all seems very unnecessary.
No one ever doubted that he would go to the Villa game, private jet being provided I am sure, and he won’t have to pay the huge price for the tickets either.
More and more articles coming out about his temper… I am loving it.
I scoffed at the idea of William asking Kate’s permission to do anything. He very much reminds me of the men who refer to their wives as the “old ball and chain”.
Right, that comment was gross on many levels
I prefer ‘she who must be obeyed.’
President is actually the lower position. It’s like Vice Patron. He couldn’t be Patron because the Queen was still alive so he was made President. As I said the other day, William has likely hired a private jet to get him to Istanbul. There will be absolutely no outrage that William flew to the game by private jet.
Not really – they made a point of pushing William out as president because he was so lazy. It was clear that “patron” was a downgrade.
Neither is inherently superior. But, traditionally, it is standard for the monarch to serve as a patron rather than a president, which often gives the title of patron ultimate seniority.
I hope his team looses… that’s the nicest I can be about Peggy on a Sunday morning😉
Does William’s attendance at the FA cup fianal count as a work event because of his role as FA “patron”?
Silly me, I thought William would do some “work events” to justify him going to the Aston Villa match.
Definitely.
and I would not begrudge him that – that it counts as work – except he reminds me of Kash Patel going into the locker room during the olympics. He’s there for “work” but its clear from the pictures that he hates the work aspects of even going to the match.
I think that the FA cup final could count as work as he presents the cup, but not the trip for Aston Villa. The is definately private. Unless he has wrangled presenting the cup again.
There is absolutely no way to spin this story that doesn’t make wank look like what he is . A lazy, incompetent. Spoiled man child who does no work and only wants to play . The worst part is no one can make him . The Dutchy Money saw to that . I think if the British government was to take control of the dutchy and give Willy a salary based on how much work he did a month, the British people would all be living well. No more food banks .
The duchy doesn’t make enough for each Briton to live well but it would definitely fund a lot of programs.
Wow, two 4-hour flights! Such hardship! There’s nothing this man won’t do for his country.
Omg. “We’re working hard to make it work if we can”’ Working hard? It’s not hard. It’s easy for William to get on a plane and go to this game. The prince gets what the prince wants. Please. Working hard. It’s not like he has a busy schedule.
And his staff is so overtaxed with scheduling. 🙄
So, who pays for his trip to Istanbul? Duchy money? And will he classify it as a work expense so it reduces the amount of taxes he has to pay? (clearly part of the reason he’s so squirrely about releasing any tax information, the public can’t know what he classifies as work expenses and what he doesn’t.) And it must be nice to be able to jet away without worrying about other work events, or childcare, etc.
He is such a disgrace.
Charles couldn’t wait to declare Peg the Prince of Wales in a vain attempt to finally pull focus from Diana by making SickNote the new PoW. He didn’t think about how the Duchy money would make Peg impossible to control.
the money is not connected in any way to the title Prince of Wales. the instant QEII died, William became Duke of Cornwall. having the duchy money was always inevitable.
Just like how George will get the money and only if he is under 18 will there be any controls.
It’s an incredibly dumb system but they claim tradition and royalists ignore this stuff.
He likely did it before the Welsh people could mount any objection.
There has been endless debate about Sir Keir being replaced as PM and why people feel so let down by this particular Labour leader alongside what is effective leadership. We didn’t mind him being dull after years of Tory sleeze,lies and psychodrama but we wanted capable, effective management and a positive plan from a good communicator . He was meant to be a safe pair of hands and a process manager. Endless debate and discussion about what is needed in an ELECTED leader who persuades people to vote for them. Now over to the heir who doesn’t have to persuade or convince anyone because he got the eventual job from birth. Yet here he is not even pretending to work hard at home or abroad and being presented by the Scum as relatable footie fan. As in he’s alright because he likes footie which is the national sport. The endless praise and puff pieces for idly enjoying himself without doing any hard work that he should be doing and we are supposed to smile indulgently? Why is his laziness and leisure seeking expensive lifestyle not properly scrutinized? He’s going to be King for 40 years when he inherits the throne so it’s okay for him to just dabble now and completely devote himself to Aston Villa and the kids!
He will still have to read his red boxes. And open Parliament just as his father did the day Kate went to Italy, I still wonder if W an K made a pact to distract from the King.
William gets paid no matter what. He’s stubborn so he does whatever he wants. He has anti-social personality traits so he’s feels entitled to only do the kind and amount of work he wants. Which is why we are so baffled that he doesn’t see how his work ethic is so appalling. He’s not embarrassed by doing as little work as possible. He gets a paycheck whether he shows up to work or not.
Surely his ALL PLAY NO WORK lifestyle can’t continue when he will have daily duties to perform as King!?
@Lady Digby I’m curious. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your feeling about a UK citizenry response to the idea of BillyIdle abdicating?
I don’t think it’s really going to happen, because he’s too greedy and selfish to give up one iota of money or status. But let’s say he just decides the whole megillah is too much trouble.
Let’s say Charles The Cruel lives a few more years. George is now 18 or close to it. A deal is struck.
BillyIdle retains the titles of Duke of Cornwall etc., the Duchy income, and whatever properties he wants. BoneIdle becomes Queen Mother. The title of Prince of Wales goes into abeyance until further notice, held aside for George’s future first-born.
Bill has no red boxes, no responsibilities, all the time in the world to go to matches and day drink with Jason.
He gets to take the ultimate revenge on Katie Keen for all the many times she’s pissed him off, by denying her the one thing she wants most: being crowned as Kween.
The move is heavily pushed for by the British government, because the whole Establishment has known for years that BillyIdle is useless and will actively make the UK look bad internationally.
Part of what sweetens the deal for Billy is that Harry & Meghan finally lose their HRHs, plus Andrew, Harry, Archie, Lili, and the York sisters are all cut out of the LOS by Letters Patent.
The taxpayers don’t get anything that helps them, except they get to dump a useless King. Though maybe some of the expensive houses, like Buckingham Palace for starters, are made state museums benefitting the NHS, instead of continuing as “royal” residences.
Maybe some of the most egregious ripoffs, like Dartmoor Prison, charging for beach access, and the profits on wind farms, are discontinued, etc.
What might the public reaction be? Would it suppress support for Republic? Would people be sorry to see William go?
I would love to see an honest accounting of Mr. Earthshot’s environmental footprint.
Be nice if some of the winners talk about their projects instead all we seem to hear about is who the next celeb. will be. Has any one of them produced anything useful?
My first thought too. He flies four hours each way, by private jet, to watch footie? Then there are his multiple houses and his Uber-helicopters. He must have a ginormous carbon footprint.
What an utter hypocrite.
It’s only a four-hour flight? Of course he can make it. 🙄
I understand William riding around on his scooter now. He wants to project the image of a boyish William, who could not possibly be expected to run a kingdom. You’re not 12 anymore, William. You’re a full-grown man (in body, if not in his mind) and you can’t pretend to be a youngster in order to get out of your duties. Too cowardly and greedy to abdicate, though.