Prince William posts rare personal message, details ’emotional roller coaster’

The Prince of Wales has penned a heartfelt message to the England squad for Euro 2024. After Sunday night’s match, which saw the team win 2-0 against Slovakia, the royal spoke made on Instagram. “Emotional roller coaster! Let’s go to England! The quarter-finals here we come! W”, he wrote on the platform.

Football enthusiast Prince William, president of the Football Association, has been a pillar of support for the Three Lions in recent weeks.

After England captain Harry Kane and his team finished in a 1-1 draw against Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday, June 20, William visited the team’s dressing room for a pep talk.

Looking back on the royal visit, midfielder Adam Wharton said: “He was just trying to keep us all positive. He was saying it wasn’t the end of the world.”

“We were like, ‘We’re still top of the group, we didn’t lose, we drew, we just have to think about the game, see how we can improve and look forward to the next game.’ That’s all you can do in a football tournament.”

The future king, a passionate Aston Villa fan, presented shirts to the England men’s team before the team left for the tournament, making a surprise visit to St George’s Park, England’s national football centre in Burton upon Trent.

William had made the trip alone, as the Princess of Wales continued her treatment for cancer. The couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were unable to accompany him on a school evening.

“Guys, I was thinking on the way, what could I say that might help?” William said upon arrival.

“I was driving the kids to school and I thought, ‘What should I tell the England team?’ The best advice I got was to eat twice as much as you normally would. I had visions of you all running around the pitch with huge bellies and stitches. Maybe I should take my youngest’s advice with a grain of salt.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from coming to see you over the years, in every England dressing room I’ve been to: friendliness,” he continued.

“What Gareth has instilled in you over the years is that I really feel that you are a unit, that you fight for each other, that you play for each other and that you really care about wearing that shirt. I just want you to know how much it means to everyone here that you go out there, give everything you have, play for your shirt, play for each other, play for your country, because everyone is behind you and really cares about what you are going to do.”