Prince William celebrated with supporters in Istanbul as Aston Villa won the Europa League final with a 3-0 victory over Freiburg. The 43-year-old Prince of Wales threw his arms around fellow fans and joked about going dancing in the fountains after watching his childhood team secure its first major trophy in 30 years.
William was eager to revel in the occasion, beckoning supporters over after initially celebrating with his own friends in the director's box. Mat Kendrick and Dan Rolinson, hosts of the Claret & Blue Podcast for Villa supporters, shared a moment of jubilation with the Prince while listening to his verdict on the team's performance.
Footage of the encounter shows Kendrick and Prince William leaning over the balcony for a tight hug and slapping each other on the back. "What an amazing night," William declared during the celebration.
When Kendrick pointed out the pitch invasion below, William explained his decision to stay in the stand. "I was tempted to go down there, but I thought, "Let's let everyone else have their moment." This is about the players, the team and the fans. This is really important," William said.
Rolinson jokingly asked the Prince if they were going to go dancing in the fountains together that night. William gave a hearty laugh before telling Kendrick, "You lead the way, mate. I'll follow you."
Director's Box Celebrations
Immediately after the final whistle, Prince William spent the first few minutes celebrating alongside a group of close friends. Red-faced with clenched teeth and shaking fists, he threw himself into the air and bellowed to the heavens.
His group included old pal Ben 'Dawesey' Dawes, Thomas van Straubenzee, 43, and Edward van Cutsem, 53, a son of banker Hugh van Cutsem and his wife Emilie, who William grew up with. Sandwiched between the van Cutsems, William joined the crowd in an enthusiastic rendition of Sweet Caroline with fingers pointing to the sky.
Edward van Cutsem, alongside his 16-year-old son Jake, chatted and joked with the future king before patting him cheerfully on the head. Edward is a Durham University graduate, former banker, godson of King Charles III, and served as a page boy at his wedding to Lady Diana.
The victory marked Aston Villa's first European title since 1982, a win that came 26 days before William was born. The Prince had waited his entire life to see Villa win a European trophy, roaring with delight during the match as the team put three goals past Freiburg.
Royal Visit To Cornwall
Prince William paid the price for his wild night in Istanbul when he arrived for official royal duties in Cornwall on Thursday morning. Wearing a pair of sunglasses and having lost his voice, the Prince arrived 40 minutes late for a tour of Nansledan, an extension to Newquay being developed by the Duchy of Cornwall, his private inherited estate.
Dressed in a blue shirt and claret tie in honour of his childhood team, William remained in a buoyant mood despite his hoarse voice. "I'm trying not to talk about it all day!" he joked to onlookers during the visit.
One local in the crowd shook the Prince's hand and asked if he had managed to get any sleep the previous night. William laughed and replied, "You might hear it in my voice. On best behaviour!"
Podcast Hosts Debrief
Further details of the encounter between Prince William and the podcasters emerged on Thursday when Kendrick and Rolinson uploaded a debrief to their channel. Kendrick explained that they were seated ten rows ahead of the Prince in the director's box when he stepped away to use the bathroom.
During his walk, Kendrick took selfies with Aston Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris and former footballer Ahmed Elmohamady. When Kendrick tried to position himself for a selfie with Prince William, royal security officers explained that one photo would inevitably lead to many others.
Rolinson recalled that after Villa scored their second goal, William stood up celebrating and pointed directly at the pair. Roughly 45 minutes after the final whistle, the podcasters looked back toward the box, saw the Prince still inside, and exchanged another fist pump with him.
Kendrick said the Prince then summoned them directly, calling out "Mat, Dan!" by name. The pair scrambled over seats to reach the director's box, where Rolinson pulled out his phone and asked permission to record a video.
In an extended version of the video clip, Prince William admitted that he felt more nervous about the Nottingham Forest second leg than the final itself.
Dressing Room Visit And Afterparty
Prior to kick-off, Prince William visited the Aston Villa dressing room to offer a final word of encouragement as Unai Emery's side prepared for the match. Dressed in a black suit and blue shirt, he cut a tense figure while walking through the tunnel ahead of kick-off, but showed no signs of nerves once the action began.
Aston Villa captain John McGinn praised the royal visitor following the match. "He's a classy guy, he was in the dressing room before the game," McGinn said.
Following the trophy presentation, William joined the team's afterparty at their hotel. Maja Lindelöf, wife of star defender Victor Lindelöf, shared a photograph of herself partying with the Prince captioned "Going off the rails," revealing that friends and family danced and sang through the night in the team hotel with the trophy.
After the final whistle, Prince William posted a message on X: "Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware! Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success."
The Prince finished his social media post with "UTV! VTID", using the abbreviated forms of Up The Villa and Villa Till I Die.