The Prince of Wales, 40, visited St. George’s Park on Wednesday to mark its 10th anniversary as the home of English soccer…or football, as the Brits say.
William met with para-footballers, young players and competitors at this year’s Street Child World Cup to chat about the opportunities they’ve received through the sport at St. George’s Park, which has acted as the base for the national senior men’s, women’s, para and development squads since 2012. In addition, the facility has supported grassroots engagements to foster a thriving soccer community across England.
Prince William is president of England soccer’s governing body, the Football Association, and is a regular visitor to matches, most notably alongside son Prince George, 9, and wife Kate Middleton, 40, at the men’s Euro 2020 games last summer.
During William’s visit to see England’s women’s soccer squad this summer, it was revealed that his 7-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, is also a soccer fan.
“Charlotte wanted me to tell you that she is really good at goal,” the royal told the team, according to Hello! “She said, ‘Please tell them that.’ She’s a budding star for the future.”
Prince William then enlisted Princess Charlotte to wish the Lionesses luck in a video message ahead of their Euro 2020 final match against Germany. It worked — England won the tournament, and William was there to help present the trophy.
While Prince William was catching up with the soccer crew, Kate visited a maternity unit at the Royal Surrey Hospital. In recent years, much of Princess Kate’s royal work has been focused on early childhood development, which has been inspired by her own experiences as a mother of three.
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