Whilst Prince George is known to be a huge football fan and attends matches with his father, he has yet to be seen wearing a football shirt, and there is a sweet reason why
Alongside his father Prince William, young Prince George was recently spotted cheering on his favourite team Aston Villa in their match against Lille – but he wasn’t wearing a supporters’ shirt.
This is not the first time that the second-in-line to the throne has attended a match with his parents, as he has also previously attended big games like the Euros 2020 Final, during which England suffered a devastating loss to Italy on penalties.
When George witnessed his favourite team be victorious in their Europa Conference League match at Villa Park, he was seen sporting his team’s scarf, but he has never worn a football shirt to a game so far, and there might be a sweet reason why.
Back in 2021, when George attended the Euros final at Wembley Stadium, the then-eight-year-old looked very smart in a formal suit and tie, a far cry from the casual wear and football colours most children would wear when accompanying their parents to a match. Ahead of time, however, there was reportedly some discussion about whether or not he should wear an England shirt, with his parents disagreeing on whether or not it was the right choice.
As reported in Yahoo Style UK, Marion Bartoli, a former Wimbledon champ, saw Kate just before the big game, and explained to Radio 5 Live that over afternoon tea Kate had expressed some doubts. “Yesterday I had an afternoon tea with the duchess and it was very much a discussion whether George will be allowed to wear the jersey tonight at Wembley or not. William was for it, Kate not so keen, so we’ll see.”
As the future King of the United Kingdom, not just England, George being seen in an England strip could possibly have caused controversy in some quarters – with his father the Prince of Wales previously attracting criticism for supporting England in the World Cup.
However, there may be another reason why Kate is keen to keep up formality when it comes to her children making public appearances, and it isn’t royal protocol. Georgina Sturmer, counsellor and psychology expert, explained to Yahoo UK that when children are growing up in the public eye, there are measures that their parents can take to help keep strong boundaries between their public and private selves.
Given that Kate’s “life’s work” is in early years development, and both the Prince and Princess of Wales are dedicated to raising awareness on mental health, all whilst being hands-on parents, Sturmer recommended that “[Kate and William] should be clear to the children about measures that are taken to protect them”.
“This might include rules around photography and public appearances. If they have a good understanding of how their parents protected them, then they are perhaps less likely to look back with resentment,” the expert explained.
Kensington Palace has been contacted for comment.
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