Prince William and Prince George Attend Soccer Match After Royal Family Duties Were Canceled

The father-son duo are big fútbol fans.

 Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince George of Wales look on alongside Tyrone Mings of Aston Villa during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 Quarter-final first leg match between Aston Villa and Lille OSC at Villa Park on April 11, 2024 in Birmingham, England.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William is enjoying some father-son time after the royal family announced the monarchy will be taking a step back from public-facing royal duties as the U.K. nears a pivotal election.

On Saturday, May 25, the Prince of Wales attended the FA cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United, which was held at the famed Wembley Stadium in London.

Prince William was accompanied by his 10-year-old son and fellow soccer aficionado, Prince George, who like his father enjoys a good match on the pitch.

The father-son outing could be viewed as half business and half pleasure—as People reports, the Prince of Wales is the president of the Football Association and is tasked with awarding the championship team with the coveted tournament trophy.

Prince William, Prince of Wales applauds the team during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 Quarter-final first leg match between Aston Villa and Lille OSC at Villa Park on April 11, 2024 in Birmingham, England.

Prince William, Prince of Wales applauds the team during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 Quarter-final first leg match between Aston Villa and Lille OSC at Villa Park on April 11, 2024 in Birmingham, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As People reports, Prince William greeted both teams prior to the start of the match, shaking hands with various players and their team's managers.

The proud dad of three was also photographed sitting alongside his 10-year-old son, wearing a "dark black suit" along with a "white shirt and red, white and blue stripped tie," People reports. Not to be outdone, Prince George wore a similar ensemble, matching his royal dad.

The outing comes after the royal family agreed to postpone any and all public outings after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a surprise election scheduled for July 4.

"Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty The King to ask for the dissolution of Parliament," Sunak said during a press conference outside 10 Downing Street on May 22, People reported at the time. "The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the 4th of July."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola shakes hands with Prince George while been introduced by his father Prince William after losing the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola shakes hands with Prince George while been introduced by his father Prince William after losing the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, the royal family wants to avoid engaging in public-facing engagements that could "appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign."

"Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result," the spokesperson added.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.