CHAMPION JANNIK SINNER MEETS THE ROYAL HIGHNESSES: PRINCE & PRINCESS OF WALES | WIMBLEDON 2026

 

KATE AND WILLIAM ATTEND WIMBLEDON 2026 FINAL

 

PRINCE WILLIAMS GETS HANDS ON EUROPA LEAGUE TROPHY AS HE CELEBRATES ASTON VILLA'S HISTORIC WIN

Future King emotional at final whistle as he witnesses his beloved Aston Villa win their first major trophy in 30 years

An ecstatic Prince William holds onto the Europa League trophy as he celebrates Aston Villa’s historic Europa League victory.

The future King, who is a huge Villa fan, was pictured last night with his hands on the trophy alongside the club’s manager Unai Emery.

PRINCE WILLIAM AND UNAI EMERY POSED FOR PHOTOS TOGETHER WITH THE EUROPA LEAGUE TROPHY
ASTON VILLA

It comes after photos showed William looking emotional as Villa clinched claimed their first major silverware in 30 years - and a first European title since 1982.

The Prince of Wales attended the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday evening where his beloved Villa won 3-0 against German side Freiburg.

After the victory William erupted into cheers and celebrated with friends who had watched the game alongside him. He appeared to wipe away tears.

CAMERASPORT VIA GETTY IMAGES

WILLIAM CELEBRATES ASTON VILLA’S VICTORY WITH HIS FRIENDS
GETTY IMAGES

It was Villa’s first major European final since the prince was born, their first silverware since the League Cup in 1996 and a first continental trophy since the European Cup in 1982.

After the match, Kensington Palace published the Prince of Wales’ message to the team: “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!”

The prince added: “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.”

Midfielder Kamara has been absent since suffering a knee injury earlier this year.

After lifting the trophy, Villa captain John McGinn said that William, who has followed the club since he was a schoolboy, met the players before kick-off.

“He is a classy guy,” McGinn told TNT.

“He was in the dressing room before the game. He is a massive Villa fan so he was never going to miss it.

“He is just a normal guy. It’s great to have his support and hopefully it continues and tonight he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out at the end of the night.”

During the final, Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia each scored a goal at the end of the first half.

Morgan Rogers then added a third in the 58th minute, sparking jubilant scenes at the final whistle.

Striker Ollie Watkins revealed the secret to Villa’s triumph following the match.

A trophy parade is due to take place in Birmingham later on Thursday.

- MATT WATTS

KHVICHA KVARATSKHELIA GENIUS HELPS GIVE PSG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EDGE AGAINST ASTON VILLA

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored one of the great Champions League goals as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

PSG beat Aston Villa in Champions League match
AFP

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored one of the great Champions League goals as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday. Morgan Rogers had given Villa a 35th-minute lead at the Parc des Princes to silence the home fans, but PSG were quickly back level through a fine strike by Desire Doue. Kvaratskhelia then took centre stage with a stunning effort on 49 minutes, before Nuno Mendes added a crucial third in stoppage time, giving PSG a significant two-goal cushion to take into the return in Birmingham next Tuesday.

Having eliminated Liverpool in the last 16, Luis Enrique's team are now in a very strong position to reach the semi-finals for the second season running.

"We are happy with this result but we have to keep going because there is the second game and the job is not finished," Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus, before claiming he could not clearly recall his sublime goal.

"It was was OK. I didn't remember it exactly but now I will check inside so I will see if it was quite good."

Villa, who had Prince William in the Paris crowd backing them along with his son George, will need to produce a memorable fightback at home if they are to make the last four of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 1982.

"We managed to get the opening goal which is about the hardest thing to do, but we were up against a great team. You have to admit that," Lucas Digne told Canal Plus.

"They produced moments of brilliance. Now we have to do the job in the return. We will have to open up a bit more but it is still doable."

Villa can perhaps take inspiration from what happened the last time their coach Unai Emery faced Luis Enrique in the Champions League.

Back in 2017, Emery's PSG thumped Barcelona 4-0 at home in the first leg of a last-16 tie, only to collapse at the Camp Nou and lose 6-1 to Luis Enrique's Catalans.

The latter, now hoping to lead PSG to their first Champions League crown, was without suspended skipper Marquinhos here and also left Bradley Barcola on the bench for the first time in this European campaign.

That meant Doue and Kvaratskhelia completed the home attack along with leading scorer Ousmane Dembele.

Villa came into this game on a run of seven straight wins in all competitions, as Marco Asensio, on loan from PSG, started as a substitute against his parent club.

The visitors were happy to sit back and the first half took place almost exclusively in their half, with Dembele setting the tone from a sizzling early strike which was tipped over by Emiliano Martinez.

The Argentinian goalkeeper, a hero for his country in the 2022 World Cup final against France, was loudly jeered throughout and had a busy night.

However, Villa snatched the lead against the run of play in the 35th minute.

Captain John McGinn robbed Mendes just inside the Villa half and picked out Marcus Rashford on the left. He then slipped in Youri Tielemans whose ball across the face of goal left Rogers with an easy finish.

PSG hit back quickly, with Martinez nearly spilling a Doue shot over the line before the equaliser came from the resulting corner.

The hosts worked the ball from right to left to Doue, who stepped towards the penalty area before curling a wonderful shot beyond Martinez into the far corner.

It was the latest moment of magic from the 19-year-old, who recently won his first France cap, but his strike was eclipsed by that of Kvaratskhelia as the Georgian put PSG ahead four minutes after half-time.

Emery replaced Matty Cash at half-time with the right-back having been booked for a foul on Kvaratskhelia.

Axel Disasi came on but had no answer as Kvaratskhelia was released on the left by Fabian Ruiz and advanced into the box.

The former Napoli winger mesmerised Disasi as he rolled his studs over the ball before smashing a thunderous shot past Martinez, in off the near post.

Villa sent on a raft of substitutes including Asensio as they tried to find a way back into the game, while Achraf Hakimi had an effort disallowed for the hosts.

Dembele then released Mendes to round Martinez and make it 3-1 in stoppage time, leaving PSG with one foot in the semi-finals. 

- Agence France-Presse

PRINCE WILLIAM'S FOUR-WORD RESPONSE TO REPORTERS AFTER NIGHT OUT

The Prince of Wales attended Aston Villa's latest match

Getty

The Prince of Wales was seen punching the air after watching Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League quarter-final.

Prince William, 42, watched his beloved football team secure a 3-0 victory against Belgian side, Club Brugge, at Villa Park in Birmingham on Wednesday.

And the future King appeared to confirm that he'll be there to support the club as Villa face French side Paris Saint-Germain in the next round.

He told journalists, "See you in Paris" as he walked to his car after the match.

William was joined in the stands by his childhood friend and property mogul, Thomas van Straubenzee, who is godfather to the Prince's daughter, Princess Charlotte.

It is the first time Villa have been in the Champions League and they are targeting the club's first top-flight European trophy since they won the European Cup in 1982 – the year William was born.

The Prince has passed down his love of football to his children, with Prince George also an avid Aston Villa fan.

William and Kate took George and Charlotte to watch their first Villa match as they played Norwich City at Carrow Road in 2019.

The day before their match on Tuesday, William watched the squad in training from the sidelines and speaking with players Morgan Rogers and Matty Cash, before a public engagement at Sporting Khalsa FC in Willenhall, West Midlands.

The Prince visited the Club to learn more about its referee training course, part of the FA's Reflective and Representative campaign, which aims to recruit 1,000 people from black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds into refereeing roles.

William joined participants as they learned about fouls, whistle tones and flag signalling.

The royal has been patron of the FA since last summer, having previously held the role as President since 2006.

William's passion for the beautiful school goes back to his school days, with the Prince talking about his earliest memories of playing football on COPA90's Game of 5s episode in 2022.

Speaking to England players Harry Kane and Declan Rice, he said: "I was a defender, like these guys, I was stuck in the back and told to just tackle, safety in the back, don't put him in the front!"

He later added: "Quite a strong memory of early days was donning an England shirt and going down the pub with my mates and watching England play in big tournaments."

"When Wayne Rooney appeared on scene, that was a big moment for me growing up.

"There was something very powerful, really interesting about how Wayne played and the steel he brought to the England team."

- Danielle Stacey

PRINCESS CHARLOTTE REACTS AS MOM KATE MIDDLETON RECEIVES STANDING OVATION AT WIMBLEDON: SEE THE EMOTIONAL PHOTO

The Princess of Wales had a special guest with her as she made a rare public appearance amid her cancer treatment

Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton attend Wimbledon July 14, 2024. PHOTO: KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE

Kate Middleton's biggest fan might be her daughter, Princess Charlotte.

The Princess of Wales, 42, stepped out at Wimbledon on July 14, marking a rare public outing as she continues cancer treatment. Accompanied by 9-year-old Charlotte, the two princesses met people associated with the event before heading to the Royal Box at Centre Court to watch the men's singles final, a repeat of last year's championship matchup between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Rounding out the girls' day out at Wimbledon was Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton.

As they took their seats in the front row of the Royal Box, the crowd rose to their feet, giving Princess Kate a standing ovation. Princess Charlotte beamed with pride at her mom, who waved with a smile, visibly moved. The applause resonated deeply, marking a rare and emotional public appearance for Kate amid her cancer treatment.

Karwai Tang, the photographer who captured the sweet moment, tells PEOPLE: “When [Kate] usually comes in, she walks down the steps and into her seat. She doesn’t normally stand and wave. But she stood for a while and took it all in. For her to acknowledge it and take in the applause was special."

"She seemed to look no different from the last Wimbledon. It felt like she is back," he adds. “For them to cheer and clap when they came in was a great support for her. Wimbledon had been waiting with bated breath for her to return and she was back.”

Tang also captured another touching moment between the mother and daughter after Charlotte and Pippa came back to their seats after taking a break from the match.

Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales giggle during the men's final on day fourteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2024 in London, England. PHOTO: KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE

 

“[Charlotte] skipped down the stairs and when she got back to her seat — she was laughing. She leaned over and must have told her mom what it was about and they were giggling together and having a good old laugh," he says.

Of the family outing, Tang says, “You can tell that all three of them were enjoying themselves — Charlotte is following the game like her mother. You can see their excitement.”

Pippa Middleton and Princess Charlotte in the royal box on day fourteen of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2024. PHOTO: PRESS ASSOCIATION VIA AP IMAGES

 

While Princess Kate sported a purple dress by Safiyaa that matched her bow tie pin representing her role with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Princess Charlotte wore a polka dot blue dress with her hair in her signature style: a half-up 'do with two braids pinned back with a bow.

Princess Kate and Prince William are regulars at Wimbledon, and in recent years, they've started to introduce their children to the sporty staple of their summer calendar.

Princess Charlotte's outing at Wimbledon marks her second time attending the tennis tournament. Princess Charlotte joined her parents and big brother, Prince George, for her Wimbledon debut last year, sporting stylish sunglasses as she cheered on Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Djokovic in a thrilling match.

Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon July 14, 2024. PHOTO: CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY

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Prince George has also attended the event twice, in 2022 (where he got the chance to hold Djokovic's first-place trophy!) and 2023.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte's little brother, 6-year-old Prince Louis, has yet to make his Wimbledon debut. The reason may be that he's simply too young — both of Louis' royal siblings were 8 when they attended the athletic event for the first time.

The Royal Box at Centre Court is typically off-limits to kids given the high demand for a spot in the 74-seat area, but exceptions are made for royal children.

Prince William skipped this year's Wimbledon finals as he headed to Germany for another sporting event. The Prince of Wales, 42, is set to support England's soccer team as they take on Spain in the Euro 2024 championship game in his role as president of the Football Association.

Although the Princess of Wales typically attends Wimbledon on multiple days of the competition each year, she has largely stayed out of the public eye as she continues cancer treatment. Her outing at Wimbledon came just weeks after she joined the royal family at Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of King Charles' birthday, in her first outing since revealing her diagnosis.

Wimbledon organizers previously said they were hopeful that the royal would be able to attend and continue the tradition of handing out the prizes this year. Club chair Debbie Jevans told Telegraph Sport that they will give Princess Kate "as much flexibility as possible," with the outlet reporting the call on who will present the trophies may not be made until the mornings of the final matches.

Even before becoming the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate was a regular Wimbledon attendee. The avid tennis player has watched the tournament in person every year since she married Prince William except in 2020 (when the COVID-19 pandemic affected the tournament) and in 2013, which took place when she was ""heavily pregnant" with Prince George and doctors advised her not to attend the event.

-  Stephanie Petit and Simon Perry

PRINCESS OF WALES SET TO ATTEND WIMBLEDON MEN'S FINAL

Getty 

 LONDON -- The Princess of Wales is set to attend the Wimbledon men's final Sunday in a rare public appearance after her cancer diagnosis.

Kensington Palace confirmed Saturday that Kate, wife of heir to the throne Prince William, will be in the Royal Box on Centre Court to watch defending champion Carlos Alcaraz play Novak Djokovic.

She will not attend Saturday's women's final between Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova. Wimbledon organizers said the winner's trophy will instead be handed out by Deborah Jevans, the chair of the All England Club.

Kate has been the patron of the All England Club since 2016, with ceremonial duties that include handing out the winner's trophy after each men's and women's singles final.

But she has one made only one public appearance since announcing in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer, which was to attend the birthday parade for King Charles III in March.

- Associated Press 

PRINCE WILLIAM & PRINCESS CHARLOTTE STEAL THE SHOW AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022

 

PRINCE WILLIAM TAKES TO THE TRACK IN PIONEERING ELECTRIC RACE CAR BY EXTREME E

PRINCE WILLIAM TAKES ELECTRIC 4X4 FOR A SPIN AT KNOCKHILL RACING CIRCUIT