It has been a heartbreaking few weeks for Prince William and his children, as wife Princess Kate publicly shared the devastating news she had been diagnosed with cancer.
So it was only right for the future King to find small moments of joy, as he took his eldest son Prince George to watch their beloved Aston Villa win against Lille OSC during the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final match on Thursday.
William and George were both seen looking nervous during the match, while the Prince of Wales was also seen standing and clapping on his team as they scored their first goal, with Ollie Watkins putting the hosts 1-0 up after 13 minutes. They later won the game 2-1.
Prince George, 10, wore Villa's blue-and-claret scarf and was seen on video cheering on the players, as his father stood close to him and spoke a few words. The young prince also appeared to be with a friend who stood on his other side.
William is a well-known Aston Villa fan and has attended many games off-duty through the years.
© Catherine Ivill - AMA
© Marc Atkins"A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn't want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams. I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments," he told Gary Lineker of why he picked the West Midlands team, rather than one closer to his home in Windsor or London.
The decision to take George to the game comes as the youngster, and his siblings Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, six, are on their school break for Easter.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have spent most of the school break privately with the three following Kate's announcement on 22 March that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an undisclosed cancer, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery in January.
© Marc AtkinsKensington Palace said at the time of the announcement: "The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year."
Kate's mother Carole Middleton has been staying with them in Norfolk and it was reported that William took his mother-in-law to the local pub for a "low-key" drink.
"Indeed, I'm told he popped into a pub in North Norfolk at the weekend with his mother-in-law, who is said to have been staying with the Prince and Princess of Wales for Easter," columnist Richard Eden reported.
He went on to reveal that the pub trip was a "low-key" affair and that there was "no sign" of Kate.
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