Prince William is gearing up to address a significant mistake amidst rising tensions as he faces an uncomfortable situation ahead of a key event in Germany.
The Prince of Wales, who is also the President of the Football Association, will attend the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, where England will face Spain in a highly anticipated contest.
Spain has won two editions of the Euros in the 21st century with back-to-back triumphs in 2008 and 2012. However, England and Spain have not faced each other in a major men's football tournament since 1996.
Just last year, Spain and England's Lionesses contested the Women's World Cup final, bringing up painful memories for the Prince of Wales. He faced severe backlash for his decision not to attend the final in Australia, a situation worsened by the Spanish Royal Family's presence to support their team.
Gareth Southgate is optimistic about becoming the first Three Lions manager to win the Euros, adding to the excitement of the upcoming match. The Prince of Wales's decision not to attend the Women's World Cup final led to urgent pleas for the Princess of Wales to go in his place.
Commenting on William's decision, a royal expert wrote: "Oops... own goal from Team Windsor. But it's not too late to book your ticket, #Kate - the Lionesses need your support. In the end, Spain will have a royal supporter there, the #Lionesses won't. At a time like this, diplomatic considerations come second to world optics - currently, the royal score is Spain 1, England 0."
Queen Letizia and her daughter Princess Sofia watched as Spain defeated England 1-0 to win the World Cup. James Cleverly, who was the Foreign Secretary at the time, attended as a representative for the UK, but no member of the royal family was present for the match.
Prince William will come face-to-face with the Spanish Royal Family at Sunday's Euro 2024 final in Germany. King Felipe of Spain has already confirmed his attendance, and his wife, Queen Letizia, is expected to join him.
