Prince William declines a phone call to film Aston Villa's Europa League triumph

It appears that even a royal phone call could not prise Prince William away from the action. The Prince of Wales, 43, was present in the stands as his beloved football club, Aston Villa, clinched the UEFA Europa League championship in Istanbul, Turkey, on 20 May.

Caught up in the post-match euphoria, the royal was seen filming the celebrations on his phone — until an incoming call interrupted the moment, and he promptly hit decline.

The moment caught on camera

In a video shared widely across social media, William was spotted holding his phone horizontally, attempting to zoom in for a better view of the on-field scenes.

When a call flashed up on his screen, the identity of the caller remained hidden, but the Prince wasted no time in dismissing it so he could carry on filming.

The footage of him filming was not posted publicly, though his reaction to the incoming call swiftly became a talking point online.

William's social media tribute

Although the video itself was not shared, Prince William did take to social media to honour the club's achievement. In a post on X from the Kensington Royal account, he wrote: "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!"

He also singled out a specific player for recognition, adding: "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."

Kamara, the team's midfielder, has been sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, according to The New York Times' The Athletic.

A lifelong passion for the Villa

Prince William's devotion to Aston Villa spans decades. He once explained to the BBC in 2015 exactly how the allegiance began: "A long time ago at school, I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs.

"All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans, and I didn't want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams. I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments."

A family divided — almost

His eldest son, Prince George, has taken on his father's passion for Aston Villa and has joined William at significant fixtures. However, not every member of the family has followed suit.

During a visit to Cornwall on Thursday to see a sustainable housing development, William let slip that Princess Charlotte has allegiances elsewhere. "My daughter loves Chelsea," he revealed, according to the Daily Mail.