NICE ONE, SIRE!

Prince William Loses His Voice Cheering His Team to Historic Soccer Victory

The prince is a passionate fan of Aston Villa.

Prince William lost his voice at a soccer game Wednesday night, after joining in wild celebrations as he cheered on his team, Aston Villa, to a historic victory against elite German side Bayern Munich.

William, 42, was a month away from even being born at the two teams’ legendary last meeting—a European cup final in May 1982, which Villa won.

The prince, sporting his new beard, looked relaxed and happy as he watched the Champions League game, no doubt buoyed by ongoing positive news about his wife’s health.

Princess Kate announced last month that she was “cancer-free” and on Wednesday evening carried out her first official public life engagement since her diagnosis, welcoming child cancer sufferers to Kensington Palace.

William adopted Birmingham-based soccer club Aston Villa as his team when he was a schoolboy and has remained a faithful fan of the team.

He has said that while most of his friends at school supported bigger teams he deliberately picked “a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”

He certainly got his wish, with the club having a checkered record over the past decades.

William posted pictures of himself meeting the team before the match but diplomatically avoided posting gloating messages afterwards.

Footage screened on TV showed William jumping up and down and hugging other supporters after the team eked out the surprise victory.

Although the impact of the win may not ultimately be hugely significant as the tournament is in its early rounds, William looked ecstatic as he waved and gave thumbs up signs to the crowd.

After the game, William said, according to a report in the Daily Mail: “I’ve lost my voice. I can’t quite believe it. 42 years.”

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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