Prince George may now be a teenager and living away from home – but some things never change.
The young royal accompanied his father, Prince William, to watch Aston Villa play away to Barcelona in a Champions League clash on Tuesday night.
However, the father-son duo seemed slightly glum as they witnessed their beloved team lose 3-0, not helped by the cold and rainy conditions at the stadium.
George, 13, who is currently on his half-term break from boarding at Eton College in Windsor, appeared to get tired, and at one point seemed to be resting his head on William's shoulder.
© PA Images via Getty Images"Aww, Prince George might be a teenager now, but he still leans on Dad. So sweet!!," wrote one royal fan on social media, while another praised the "beautiful moment".
Another person commented: "Father and son, spending the school half-term break, making memories as it should be."
Others were blown away by how "grown up" George looked, almost matching his 6ft 3 father in height.
However, some people speculated that George, who was wearing a black athletic jacket with the team's crest, was leaning his head on his own shoulder and was only using William for support.
© Getty ImagesWilliam's lifelong support of Aston Villa
Before the game at the Spotify Camp Nou, William and George were presented with Barcelona shirts by the Spanish club’s president, Joan Laporta.
William, who is a patron of the Football Association and a passionate Villa supporter, is often present at the Birmingham team's matches.
FC Barcelona released a statement ahead of the game saying "a very special guest" would be in the directors’ box for the game on Tuesday.
It read: "Prince William, heir to the British throne, was not going to miss the chance to watch his beloved Birmingham side in action."
The future king also watched from the crowd as Villa beat Freiburg in May to win the Europa League, their first European trophy in 44 years.
This year, Villa are back in Europe’s premier competition and have kicked off their campaign with back-to-back wins over Fenerbahce and Viking FK.
William opened up about his lifelong love for Aston Villa on the Graham Norton Show earlier this month.
"Some childhood friends of mine got me into Aston Villa, clearly thinking they'd get some free tickets in later life. I think it's probably worked," the royal explained.
Following in his father's footsteps
Like his father before him, George is now a pupil at Eton College in Windsor after beginning his studies in September.
But they also have a passionate love for Aston Villa in common.
© Getty ImagesThe Prince of Wales last brought his eldest son along to an Aston Villa game in April 2025 for the team's UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter-Final Second Leg football match against Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park in Birmingham.
George got into the game-day spirit as he was seen cheering the team on alongside his father, wearing an Aston Villa scarf.
However, the rest of the family isn't quite as on board with Aston Villa, as William previously revealed the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte support Chelsea, while eight-year-old Prince Louis backs "about five different teams".
Eton's school website states that all pupils began their "long leave" break on 23 October, with students expected back on campus by 8 November.
