Prince William travels to Istanbul to cheer on Aston Villa in the Europa League final

Prince William has made clear just how deeply his loyalty to Aston Villa runs — by travelling to Istanbul to watch his beloved club compete in one of European football's biggest occasions.

The Prince of Wales, 43, flew to Turkey on Wednesday to support Villa in the Europa League final against German side SC Freiburg. The Birmingham-rooted club is chasing its first major European trophy since 1982 — the very same year William was born, following Villa's European Cup triumph.

"Come on Villa!" — William's rallying cry

Before departing for Turkey, the Prince shared a message of encouragement on social media, writing: "Come on Villa! Good luck in tonight's Europa League final. UTV!" — the abbreviation for "Up the Villa!" — before signing off simply with "W."

William had already been closely tracking the club's European campaign this season. Earlier this month, on 7 May, he attended Aston Villa's Europa League semi-final, where the team secured its place in the Istanbul showdown.

After the match, he was filmed enthusiastically singing along with supporters to Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" as celebrations broke out around the stadium.

A family affair

The prince has passed his passion for Aston Villa on to his children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. He has frequently brought George along to matches, and during a trip to Paris in April 2025, he spoke openly about why sharing those experiences with his eldest son means so much to him.

"I thought, it's been 43 years since anything like this has happened in my generation as a Villa fan, and I want George to experience a night out away from home in a big European competition," William told TNT Sports ahead of Villa's first European quarter-final in decades.

"I hope it's not 43 years until the next time it happens, but I think those memories are really important to create and to bring him along tonight is a big deal for me," he added.

Bags under the eyes and a late-night compromise

The morning after the 7 May semi-final victory, William joined his wife Kate Middleton at a Buckingham Palace garden party, where he joked that he had "bags under the eyes," according to The Telegraph, following the emotional evening at Villa Park.

Kate also revealed that the couple's children had hoped to accompany their father to the game, but a compromise had been reached at home.

"We let them stay up and watch it," she told guests at the event.

It is likely the royal siblings will once again be permitted a late night to follow the action from home as Villa compete in Istanbul.

Superstitions and stadium rituals

William has also spoken candidly about the superstitious rituals he performs when watching matches at home.

"If we're not doing very well, I start moving round the house quite quickly and I put the children in different positions hoping that's going to change our luck," he told The Sun in March 2025.

More than a fan

Beyond the camaraderie of the terraces and the thrill of victory, William genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow supporters and exchanging stories about the club. During an official visit to Birmingham, he took a detour to meet a group of fans who were heading to an Aston Villa match later that day.

"We spoke about the club, the transfers, the pending Champions League trip to Monaco and all things Aston Villa. He asked many questions — he's got a good level of interest," longstanding supporter Steve Jones told Hello! at the time.