No one was waiting for him there. Prince William was able to surprise all his admirers during an outing on January 21. Initially seen during an engagement at Centrepoint in Ealing, Great Britain, he reappeared later in the day in a completely different territory: the principality of Monaco! Far from being alone, he had at his side a long-time friend, Thomas van Straubenzee, the godfather of Princess Charlotte. Both were seen, looking serious and cold, in the Louis II stadium. The reason for their dismay? Their favorite team, Aston Villa, lost their match against the Monegasques, 1-0.
Between “Willy” and Thomas, it is a childhood friendship that is not about to end. Their first bond began when they were still young boys at Ludgrove Preparatory School and they have been together for almost 30 years now. According to the Daily MailThomas used to vacation with the Duke of Cornwall as a child since his family was close to the Spencers. Diana having even been, at one time, the nanny of one of the young man’s cousins. Their bond, forged since childhood, seems to have spanned the years without weakening and their common passion for football has brought them together in recent times.
Real enthusiasts
In October 2024, they had already been photographed during a Champions League match between the “Lions” and FC Bayern München at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham. This time, the English team won 1-0, a victory which aroused a lot of emotion in both men. A few years earlier, in 2020, the two friends had also attended the Carabao Cup final between their favorite club and Manchester City, at Wembley Stadium in London.
-If there were still any doubts about the prince’s enthusiasm for this football team, the events of January 15 confirmed his attachment. Also recently, the future sovereign went to a pub to chat with supporters, not hesitating to offer them eight pints as a sign of conviviality. With Tuesday’s defeat having dealt a blow to Aston Villa’s hopes of automatically qualifying for the knockout stages, perhaps this time he will drown his sorrows in their company.
Read also >> Prince William pays for his round in a Birmingham pub
