Prince William could barely contain his emotions as Aston Villa finally ended their agonising 30-year wait for major silverware with a stunning Europa League final victory in Istanbul.
The Prince of Wales, a lifelong Aston Villa supporter, was seen punching the air, smiling through tears and celebrating wildly in the stands as Villa stormed to a dominant 3-0 win over Freiburg at Besiktas Park. For William, the moment carried even deeper meaning — Villa’s last major trophy came when he was just 13 years old.
Goals from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia gave Unai Emery’s side total control before England star Morgan Rogers sealed the unforgettable night in the second half, sending Villa fans into absolute delirium.
William later shared his joy publicly on social media, writing: “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!
“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.
“UTV! ❤️ VTID”.
The future King looked visibly emotional throughout the match, with cameras repeatedly catching him celebrating passionately alongside travelling supporters during one of the biggest nights in Aston Villa’s modern history.
Earlier in the evening, William personally visited the dressing room to wish the squad luck before kick-off — a gesture Villa captain John McGinn later praised warmly.
McGinn said: “He’s a classy guy, he was in the dressing room before the game. He’s a massive Villa fan and he was never going to miss it. It’s great to have his support and he’s just a normal guy.”
He jokingly added: “Hopefully tonight he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out at the end of the night.”
Defender Ezri Konsa also revealed how much the Prince’s support means to the players, admitting he still thinks about the moment William once described him as a “Rolls-Royce”.
Konsa said: “You go home and think: ‘Flipping hell, I just shook his hand, he knows my name’. It’s massive and to have his support is brilliant for the club and the players.
“He called me a Rolls-Royce once. That got stuck in my head. I’ll take that all day.”
William has never hidden his deep love for Aston Villa. He previously explained that he deliberately chose to support the Birmingham club while at school because he wanted a team that would give him “more emotional rollercoaster moments” instead of following football giants like Manchester United or Chelsea.
Ironically, Prince William was born just 26 days after Villa’s last European triumph in 1982 — making this historic victory feel almost written in the stars.
After years of heartbreak, false dawns and frustration, Villa finally delivered the fairytale ending their royal fan had waited decades to witness.
