While England's rugby heroes were slogging it out on the pitch, sport-loving Princes William and Harry were also giving it their all at the World Cup final in Paris. The royal brothers echoed the feelings of the nation with their passionate support as England took on South Africa for the top prize.
The Princes watched the action from the VIP stands of the Stade de France in Paris, where fellow guests included Prince Albert of Monaco and his long-time girlfriend Charlene Wittstock, Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman and his wife Lisa Gottsegen and Kill Bill star Uma Thurman with boyfriend Arpad Busson.
The nail-biting match - which saw the brothers nervously clasping their hands in front of them as play was halted over whether or not England had scored a try - ended with South Africa taking home the trophy. But the royal brothers were determined to boost the valiant players dampened spirits.
Wills and Harry lavished praise on the players when they joined them in the hotel bar. Earlier the squad had been treated to a heroes' welcome on their return to their five-star hotel.
"Very well done, you all showed tremendous spirit," said Wills, who affectionately patted captain Johnny Wilkinson's chest. The Prince also had words of support for centre Mike Katt, who told the second-in-line to the throne he was "gutted" to have lost 15-6. "Don't worry, everyone's proud of you guys - it was awesome," said William.
Buoyed by the Princes’ kind words, the night soon turned into one of celebration, with the group deciding to go clubbing shortly after 3am. They headed for Paris' swanky L'Etoile club - the French equivalent to Bourjois - and continued partying until the early hours of the morning.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
