England fans have been left bitterly disappointed as they realised football wasn't "coming home" for the first time in 58 years. Among them was the Prince of Wales, who brought his son, Prince George, 10, along to support Gareth Southgate's Three Lions team during the nail-biting Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
A keen football fan and President of the FA, Prince William, 42, joined the nervous crowd of football fans taking their seats in the German capital's Olympiastadion. William, whose wife the Princess of Wales made a triumphant return to Wimbledon on Sunday, was filmed arriving at the game alongside a host of famous faces including Ed Sheeran, WAGs Kate Kane and Dani Dyer, and Peter Crouch.
Pulling a series of animated facial expressions as they watched the match alongside new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and King Felipe of Spain and his daughter Infanta Sofia, the royal duo looked utterly heartbroken following England's defeat in the final minutes of the game.
Check out all the best photos and royal reactions from the England v. Spain Euro 2024 final, live as it happened…
© TwitterPrince William took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to confirm they had entered the stadium. Alongside a video of himself and George arriving in style, he penned: "Hello, Berlin! #EURO2024".
© GettyGeorge is also a keen football fan and often accompanies his father to matches. He was previously seen celebrating the Three Lions' early goal in the Euro 2020 final alongside William and his mother, the Princess of Wales.
© GettyEngland's men's team have not won a major tournament since 1966. All eyes were on Gareth Southgate's Three Lions on Sunday night in the hopes of a historic win.
© GettyThe Prince of Wales is the President of the Football Association. A devoted Aston Villa supporter, he regularly attends England games and FA Cup finals.
© GettyNewly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer took pride of place alongside the royals and was seen chatting animatedly with George as the game kicked off.
© GettyJoining Prince William in the royal box was Felipe VI, King of Spain, and his daughter Princess Sofia. Showing their allegiance to their home country, the father and daughter opted for symbolic red touches in their outfits.
© GettyFather and son were deep in discussion during the match. The Prince of Wales and his son were smartly clad in navy suits, white shirts and striped ties for the occasion.
© Tullio Puglia - UEFAA general view of the inside of the Olympiastadion as a pyrotechnics display took place prior to the UEFA EURO 2024 final match.
© GettyKing Felipe and Prince William exchanged a warm welcome as they took their seats. The pair have long been friends and the Spanish monarch and his wife Queen Letizia are often the British royal family's guests during important royal occasions such as King Charles' coronation.
William was pictured animatedly talking to his 10-year-old son as the action unfolded on the pitch. Young George looked on nervously.
© GettyWelsh football icon Gareth Bale introduced himself to King Felipe and Prince William, paying his respects at the start of the match.
© GettyThe royals were also joined UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who was seen chatting with Prince George throughout the match.
© GettyAhead of the final, Prince of Wales showed his support to the England squad, telling them: "Show the world what you're made of." He continued: "We are so proud of you all, England, just one last push to finish the job! Go out there and show the world what you’re made of. We believe."
© ADRIAN DENNISGeorge, the eldest of Princess Kate and Prince William's three children, has been enjoying plenty of public outings in recent months, most recently meeting pop icon Taylor Swift at her concert at Wembley Stadium.
© TwitterIn the spirit of friendly competition, Prince William retweeted a photo posted by Spain's King Felipe - taken before England's defeat. He captioned it: "May the best team win 🏴 🤝 🇪🇸".
© ShutterstockLeaping up from their seats, the Prince of Wales and his son shouted and cheered as Cole equalised.
© Kieran McManus/ShutterstockThe excitement was short-lived, however. Prince George's facial expressions spoke for the nation as he watched Spain score with just minutes to go.
© GettyAppearing shellshocked, Starmer, Prince George and Prince William couldn't contain their crushing disappointment. Ever the good sport, however, William shared a message of support to the England squad on social media. "This time it just wasn’t meant to be. We're all still so proud of you," he wrote.
© picture allianceHarry Kane looked devasted as Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad suffered a similar fate to the Euro 2020 final loss.
© GettyThe Prince of Wales, pictured shaking Bellingham's hand, descended onto the pitch to express his commiserations to the team.
Football fan William
An avid Aston Villa supporter, Prince William never misses the opportunity to support the beautiful game. He was in his element during the quarter-final, which saw the royal cheering from the sidelines at the Dusseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena.
The father-of-three was also seen giggling at an amusing sign held up by a Swiss fan in the crowd – "God Save The Cheese".
He also attended England v. Denmark where he was reunited with his old friend, King Frederik. The pair were seen exchanging friendly greetings and laughing together on several occasions during the game.
William was sadly forced to miss the semi-final, however, which saw England defeat the Netherlands. The Prince of Wales's busy work schedule didn't allow him to attend.
Nevertheless, the royal kept up with all the action on the TV, expressing his delight as England made it to the final. William threw his support behind Aston Villa star Ollie after his last-minute goal, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter): "What a beauty, Ollie! Congratulations England! #EURO2024 Finalists W."
Meanwhile, King Charles penned a message to England manager Gareth Southgate, making a joke about the nation's collective "blood pressure" spike.
Issuing a statement on behalf of himself and Queen Camilla, William wrote: "My wife and I join all our family in wishing you the warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the U.E.F.A. European Championship – and in sending our very best wishes for Sunday's match.
"If I may encourage you to secure victory before the need for any last minute wonder-goals or another penalties drama, I am sure the stresses on the nation’s collective heart rate and blood pressure would be greatly alleviated! Good luck, England."
After their defeat King Charles shared: "Although victory may have eluded you this evening, nevertheless my wife and I join all my family in urging you and your support team to hold your heads high.
“All those who have participated in sporting activities at any level will know how utterly despairing such a result can feel when the prize was so near – and will join me in sending heartfelt sympathy, even as we congratulate Spain.
“But please know that your success in reaching the European Championship final is a really great achievement in itself, and one that brings with it the pride of a nation which will continue to roar for the Three Lions today – and in the many triumphs which I have no doubt lie ahead.
