Prince William made a surprise appearance at the football on Wednesday evening, with the Prince of Wales watching his beloved Aston Villa take on Club Brugge in the Champions League.
However, the heir to the throne was left stony-faced during a dull first half where neither team scored a goal. As the match drew on, William was seen with an expressionless face as he sat alongside his close friend Thomas van Straubenzee and two other companions. At other points of the match, the group exchanged smiles as they spoke to one another.
One moment did elicit a reaction from the father-of-three when a missed opportunity from Villa saw him cover his hand with his mouth.
Thankfully, the second half was a lot more exciting and William was seen roaring with pride when Villa went 1-0 up against the Belgian team, with two more goals from the side swiftly following.
© Alamy Stock PhotoSee photos of William enjoying the match below…
© Alamy Stock PhotoStony-faced
A dull first half made for a fairly expressionless William.
© Alamy Stock PhotoMissed opportunity
The royal couldn't believe it when Villa ended up missing a goal, having to cover his mouth with his hand whilst sat alongside Thomas van Straubenzee
© Alamy Stock PhotoA welcome distraction
As the match dragged on with no goals in sight, William passed the time chatting to his companions.
© Alamy Stock PhotoCelebrations
When Villa finally got their first goal, William and his friends couldn't help but show their excitement as they roared with pride.
© Alamy Stock PhotoFurther celebrations
It wasn't just one goal that Villa scored against Club Brugge and William was seen cheering as the team notched up more goals.
During a solo outing on Tuesday, William paid a secret visit to Villa's training ground as the Birmingham-based team prepared to take on Brugge.
The future King has been an avid follower of the West Midlands Club for years and he's been spotted in the stands at their Premier League matches as well as their Champion League clashes.
© Getty ImagesAfter wishing his team good luck before the match, William, 42, was welcomed by more than 100 cheering school children as he arrived 30 minutes later than expected at Sporting Khalsa FC.
Speaking to Gary Lineker in 2015 about his love of the club, William said: "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.
© Getty Images"I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa's always had a great history."
