Prince William Cuts Loose at European Championship Soccer Match in Germany

If Prince William is engaged in a campaign to convince the world that he’s a loose and un-stuffy guy, he’s doing a bang-up job. In recent days, the royal has been caught shaking a tail feather at a Taylor Swift show, zipping around the grounds of Windsor Castle on an electric scooter, and whooping from the stands at a high-profile soccer match. Given his family’s absolutely brutal year, these moments of levity from the eldest child of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana feel like a breath of fresh air.

(l-r) Aleksander Ceferin, President of UEFA and Prince William in the stands during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between England and Switzerland at the Dusseldorf Arena on July 6, 2024 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

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One of the royal duties expected of Prince William is the presidency of the Football Association, England and Wales’s governing body for soccer. He’s fulfilled that role with gusto, attending matches with Prince George, but the royal traveled solo on Saturday, heading to Dusseldorf, Germany for the quarter-final match of the 2024 European Championships (aka the Euros) between England and Switzerland.

The match was a tough one. After a 0-0 first half, the game turned into a nail-biting 1-1 tie. After the game went into overtime, Liverpool midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold successfully completed a penalty shot that gave the English national team the win—and sent William to his feet.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and President of The Football Association, celebrates after Bukayo Saka of England (not pictured) scores his team’s first goal during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between England and Switzerland at Düsseldorf Arena on July 06, 2024 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

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Via X (formerly Twitter), William congratulated the team on its victory, writing “Nail biting to the very end. Well done @England! Semi-finals here we come! We believe.” The tweet, as has been his family’s habit, was simply signed “W.”

William’s overseas trip is seen as a positive sign when it comes to the ongoing recovery of wife Kate Middleton. Princess Kate stepped away from public life earlier this year after she began treatments for cancer; in the early days of her battle, William also dialed back his public duties. The pair appeared side-by-side for the first time in 2024 at last month’s Trooping the Colour, with sources close to the family saying that she expects to return to her role at a slow and steady pace.

The English national team, which surprised analysts with its win on Saturday, will play the national team of the Netherlands on Wednesday. If they triumph against the Dutch team, they’ll make it to the finals in Berlin, where they’ll play for the Henri Delaunay Cup a week from now, on July 14.