The Prince of Wales has shared an apology to the Lionesses for missing the Women’s World Cup final in Australia.
England’s women’s team are set to compete in a historic World Cup final against Spain on Sunday (20 August), after they beat Australia 3-1 in the nail-biting semi-final on Wednesday (16 August).
The Prince of Wales, who is the president of the Football Association (FA), tweeted a personal message of congratulations following the victory over Australia, describing it as a “phenomenal performance”.
However, he has faced criticism from football fans after it was confirmed that he will not be in attendance at Sunday’s final (20 August) in Sydney.
In a video posted to social media on Saturday (19 August), William addressed his absence from tomorrow’s match while sitting beside his daughter, Princess Charlotte, eight.
“Lionesses, I want to send you a huge good luck for tomorrow, we’re sorry we can’t be there in person but we’re so proud of everything you’ve achieved and the millions you’ve inspired here and around the world,” he said.
“So go out there tomorrow and really enjoy yourselves.”
A grinning Charlotte, clutching a football and seated beside him, added: “Good luck Lionesses.”
The royal family’s absence from the final was decided due to it involving flying across the world for a very short period of time, it is understood.
Taking such a long flight would involve creating a large carbon footprint, which goes against William’s commitment to tackling climate change. The prince launched the Earthshot Prize in 2019 in an effort to find solutions to repair and regenerate the Earth.
However, citing William’s role as the FA president, many fans have questioned whether the same decision would have been taken for the men’s World Cup.
Though he did not attend the men’s World Cup in Qatar last winter, it was understood at the time that William’s office would have arranged for him to travel there if the England team made the final. The men’s team were eliminated in the quarter-final, losing 2-1 to France.
Prince William and Princess Charlotte— (Prince of Wales / Instagram)
Mandy Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, tweeted: “No chance that Prince William would be ‘missing in action’ if the England men’s football team made it to the World Cup final.”
“I’m sorry but Prince William not going to Australia for the World Cup Final is some absolute bulls***,” another person wrote on Twitter/X. “He would be going if it was the men. He’s the president of the FA?!”
The Independent’s political sketchwriter Tom Peck stated that there’s “no good reason” for William, nor prime minister Rishi Sunak for missing the event, writing: “The England men’s football team are quite good at the moment. Their making it to a World Cup final can certainly not be ruled out. And should that happen, it seems highly unlikely that either the prince or the prime minister will be absent from the occasion.”
Elsewhere, the government has been criticised for failing to declare a bank holiday if the Lionesses are victorious.
