Prince William will not attend World Cup final to watch England‘s Lionesses face off against Spain, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
The Lionesses made history after beating Australia 3-1 today securing their place in England’s first World Cup Final since 1966. Ella Toone scored the opener for Sarina Wiegman‘s side before Sam Kerr netted a stunning equaliser midway through the second half to revive Australia’s hopes of reaching the final.
But Prince William, who is president of the Football Association, is set to watch the final on the television.
No specific reason has been given for the decision, but attending the final would mean a lengthy flight to Australia for a short period of time.
Following the match, The Prince of Wales praised the team. He wrote on Twitter: ‘What a phenomenal performance from the – on to the final! Commiserations to, you’ve played brilliantly and been fantastic co-hosts of this World Cup. W’
Prince William will not attend World Cup final to watch England’s Lionesses face off against Spain
England’s tactical mastermind Sarina Wiegman smiled as she spoke to the Prince only a month ahead of the team’s historic win against Germany in 2022
The then Duke of Cambridge got to know the Lionesses at a visit to the team’s training camp at St George’s Park in June ahead of Euro 2022
The royal is currently on a summer break and travelling across the world is something those in the public eye have previously been criticised for.
Tackling climate change is listed as one of the prince’s priorities.
Veteran royal journalist Phil Dampier has criticised the royal’s decision to miss out on Sunday’s final, which will be broadcast at 11am.
On social media he wrote: ‘If Prince William as President of the FA isn’t going to the Women’s World Cup final we should be told why not. It’s a long way and Australia hasn’t had a visit by him or The King since Charles came to the throne. That’s the problem. If the final was in Europe he’d be there!’
The prince also sat out on last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar, due to the controversies surrounding it. But it was reported that he ‘might’ have attended if they managed to reach the final.
King Charles congratulated the squad. In his message, he said: ‘My wife and I join all our family in sending the mighty Lionesses our warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the World Cup, and in sharing our very best wishes for Sunday’s match.
‘While your victory may have cost the magnificent Matildas their chance for the greatest prize in the game, both teams have been an inspiration on and off the pitch – and, for that, both nations are united in pride, admiration and respect.’
Like Prince William, many fans will be opting to stay in England and enjoy the game at home or at a fanzone.
Prince William hailed a ‘phenomenal’ performance by the Lionesses after their 3-1 victory against Australia on Wednesday
The Lionesses made history after beating Australia 3-1 today securing their place in England’s first World Cup Final since 1966
Prince William has spent time with a number of England players over the years in his role as President of the FA. Pictured: The Prince of Wales hugging Leah Williamson during the Euros final – which England won after beating Germany last year
The Lionesses have clearly captured the hearts and minds of a nation once again, as all three Boxpark fan zones in London sold out eight minutes after the final whistle.
A Boxpark spokesperson said that 2,500 tickets across their sites in Shoreditch, Wembley and Croydon sold out in under 10 minutes.
Ecstatic England fans have poured on to Twitter to celebrate the achievement, and several supporters used memes to wind up the tournament hosts following their World Cup exit.
A fan zone at Boxpark Croydon turned into an impromptu dance floor on Wednesday as the Lionesses confirmed their place in the final, knocking out the host nation.
The only person who seemed to be sitting down when the final whistle was heard at the south London venue was a lone Australian at the front of the zone.
The team’s official Twitter account posted three images from behind the scenes in Sydney.
It was captioned ‘Good times never seemed so good!’ – lyrics from the Neil Diamond classic which has become something of a celebratory anthem for England in recent tournaments.
Boss Sarina Wiegman was clearly keen to keep a lid on celebrations, even telling defender Lucy Bronze to ‘stop jumping’ and to immediately begin preparations for Sunday’s showpiece final.
The Lionesses celebrated reaching their maiden World Cup final, and England’s first in nearly 60 years, by dancing to Sweet Caroline today – but there were only soft drinks in sight with one more step to go on the road to glory
Boss Sarina Wiegman was clearly keen to keep a lid on celebrations, even telling defender Lucy Bronze to ‘stop jumping’ and to immediately begin preparations for Sunday’s showpiece final
The team’s official Twitter account posted three images from behind the scenes in Sydney, following an historic 3-1 win over old rivals, Australia
Australian fans were left crying into their beers as goals for England from Toone, Hemp and Alessia Russo sealed victory and put the Lionesses 90 minutes away from lifting two major trophies in just under 13 months.
England will now take on Spain for the trophy this Sunday at 11am UK time, after they beat Sweden 2-1 yesterday to book their trip to the final.
The match comes just over a year after England won Euro 2022 by beating Germany and is England’s first World Cup final since the men’s famous triumph back in 1966.
Lionesses fans at the fan zones put children on their shoulders, danced on tables and sang football hits following the historic victory.