Prince William issues message ahead of family celebration


The Prince of Wales is a huge rugby fan


Prince William smiling in suit© Getty
Danielle StaceyOnline Royal Correspondent - London
June 20, 2025
Share this:

The Prince of Wales sent a rallying message of support to the British & Irish Lions rugby squad ahead of their history-making test match.

"Good luck to Andy and the whole @britishandirishlions squad as they kick off the 2025 Tour tonight against Argentina in Dublin. Lions Tours are always special - the history books await!," Prince William wrote in a personal social media message, signing off with his initial "W".

The royal is the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, while the Princess of Wales is patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Rugby Football League (RFL).

© Shutterstock
William and Kate at the Six Nations earlier this year

It will be the first match the Lions have played in Ireland and in another first, the players will have the names printed on the back of their shirts.

© Getty Images
William at All Blacks v British and Irish Lions in New Zealand in 2005

It comes ahead of the Lions' tour to Australia for six more matches and three tests against the Wallabies.

Special day

William turns 43 on Saturday 21 June and traditionally spends his birthday privately with wife, Kate, and their three children.

Last year, Kensington Palace released a fun family snap taken by the Princess, showing William, George, Charlotte and Louis holding hands as they jumped off a sand dune on a Norfolk beach.

© The Princess of Wales
The Princess of Wales took this fun photo of William with the kids in Norfolk

"Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx," Kate wrote in the accompanying caption.

The Princess was in the middle of her cancer treatment at the time, during a year which the Prince described as "brutal" for his family, with his father, King Charles, also diagnosed with the disease.

© WireImage
The royals, pictured at Trooping the Colour, have had a busy summer calendar

Kate completed her treatment last September and confirmed she is in remission in January.

© Getty Images
Kate was last seen publicly on Garter Day

The mother-of-three has been making a gradual return to her public duties amid her recovery.

She pulled out of attending Royal Ascot with her husband on Wednesday as she continues to find the right balance following her treatment.

ROYAL FAN? JOIN THE CLUB

Welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club, where thousands of royal fans like you get to delve deeper into the wonderful world of royalty every day. Want to join them? Just click the button below for a list of club benefits and joining information.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information please click here.

More Royalty
See more