The Prince of Wales enjoyed a night out in Paris with his firstborn, Prince George. The father-son duo traveled to the French capital to attend a UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and Aston Villa F.C. on April 9.
Ahead of the game, Prince William shared with TNT Sports that the evening was a "big deal" for him. "Well, I’ve got my son here as well, so I’m on best behavior as well," the royal dad of three said. "But 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 added, "I hope it's not 43 years is the next time that happens, but I think those memories are really important to create and bringing him along tonight is a big deal for me."
While George, 11, was with him at the match on Wednesday, the Prince of Wales revealed that he had "left the other two," referencing Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, "at home, probably watching tonight." William, who is an avid Aston Villa fan, admitted that he's open to whichever team his children support. "I'm a bit biased. But also, they come to games at Villa, they're going to probably support Villa," he shared.
William has previously remarked that he hopes his kids "all find their own teams in time." Speaking to The Sun, in an interview published last month, His Royal Highness said, "They don’t all have to be Villa fans. I’m trying not to be biased but obviously they see how passionate I am about it and they watch the matches with me."
"I’m trying to spread the love a little bit," he continued. “They do have Villa shirts, and ask to come to games with me, but they have other shirts as well. There’s been a bit of courting going on by other managers too.”
In the end, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. beat Aston Villa F.C. 3-1 on April 9. "A big night in the Champions League under the lights. Not the result we wanted, but it's not over yet! Bring on the second leg at Villa Park! UTV," the Waleses' X account posted on Wednesday. Before the match, William told TNT Sports, "I'm wearing all my lucky clothes and bits and pieces and got all my routine, so I'm hoping that it's going to bring some luck tonight."
The Prince spoke about his superstitions in his interview with The Sun last month. “If I’m home alone with the children, I probably don’t have the pre-match pint but I do have a bit of superstition about where I sit when I’m watching them," the heir to the throne confessed. "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."