Prince William watched Aston Villa win their first major trophy in 30 years in Istanbul, celebrating alongside old friends in the directors’ box as Morgan Rogers scored in the 58th minute. The Prince had earlier visited the dressing room, posted jubilant messa
The final whistle in Istanbul last night didn’t just lift Aston Villa into history—it unleashed an emotion from Prince William that many in the box clearly weren’t ready for.
When the game was over. William threw himself into the air. red-faced with teeth clenched and fists shaking. bellowing to the heavens. Even before the moment could settle. he was already swiping tears away. then flinging his arms around a row of men in navy-blue smart casual who had watched the match with him.
For those sitting close enough to share the roar, it wasn’t a distant royal viewing. It was a reunion, made visible in the names around him—and in the way they joined in when the joy turned communal.
At William’s right, on the end of the row, was Ben Dawes—better known as “Dawesey.” An old friend of William’s, Dawes co-founded a wine business with his wife, Pip, and recently said he was trying to master padel “to give myself something to think about.”
To William’s left were Jake van Cutsem and his banker father. Edward van Cutsem. identified as one of William’s closest childhood friends. A wider shot of the box showed Thomas van Straubenzee among the group. with others believed to include university friends of the Prince and further members of the van Cutsem family.
Edward van Cutsem’s connection to the Windsors runs deep. He became close with the brothers after his father, Hugh van Cutsem, befriended then-Prince Charles at Cambridge University. Edward is described as King Charles’s godson. while Edward’s brothers—William and Nicholas—are godfathers to William’s sons. Prince George and Prince Louis. respectively.
The 2004 wedding details add another layer to why this night felt personal. William was an usher at Edward’s wedding to Lady Tamara Grosvenor in 2004. At the same time. the source notes Lady Tamara is the older sister of Hugh Grosvenor. the Duke of Westminster. whose daughter is William’s goddaughter.
Their families have continued to overlap in public life and private milestones. On Edward’s wedding day in 2004, William was pictured as an usher, and later his son Jake—described as just 16 years old—was in the box enjoying the occasion alongside him.
Down from Edward was Thomas van Straubenzee, another childhood friend and one of Princess Charlotte’s godfathers. It is also recalled that Prince Harry. in his memoir Spare. claimed two men—including Thomas—were the “real” best men at William and Kate’s wedding. The memoir adds that Thomas gave the traditional best man speech alongside James Meade.
That sense of longstanding friendship sat alongside the football itself. William was clearly part of the evening’s rhythm: limbs flying around his box as it charged through the night. He and the men around him joined a passionate rendition of Sweet Caroline. leaning into the stadium atmosphere instead of treating it like a viewing session.
The match story was simple enough to ignite a crowd: Aston Villa’s first major trophy in 30 years arrived after breakthrough England star Morgan Rogers scored in the 58th minute, sparking jubilation at Besiktas Park as Emery’s side sealed victory.
Not long after, William turned his celebration into a public message. On X after the final whistle, he wrote: “Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!”
He followed with a special shout-out to Boubacar Kamara. “Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success.”
The post ended with “UTV! VTID,” using abbreviated forms of “Up The Villa” and “Villa Till I Die.”
Before the game ever reached the 58th minute, William had already stepped into the club’s day. Earlier in the evening, he paid a pre-match visit to the Villa dressing room, offering a final word of encouragement as Emery’s side prepared for what was described as the biggest game in a generation.
Dressed smartly in a black suit and blue shirt, he initially cut a tense figure while moving through the tunnel ahead of kick-off. But that tension didn’t last. Once the action began, he cheered on what was described as a famous—and relatively straightforward—victory for the Birmingham club.
Villa captain John McGinn summed up the feeling from inside: “He’s a classy guy. he was in the dressing room before the game.” McGinn also suggested William’s support was more familiar than ceremonial. “He’s a massive Villa fan and he was never going to miss it. It’s great to have his support and he’s just a normal guy. Hopefully it (his support) continues and tonight he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out at the end of the night.”.
The Prince’s relationship with the squad has also been carried by the way he’s spoken about individual players. Defender Ezri Konsa. ahead of the game against the German side. said William referring to him as a “Rolls-Royce” counted as the greatest compliment of his career—and that the team were grateful for his support.
Konsa described how big that moment feels up close. “It’s weird because on game day when he comes in you’re focused on the game a lot, so sometimes you’re in the moment and you don’t realise how big it is that you have got him coming in to greet everyone, shaking everyone’s hand,” he said.
He added the personal shock of it. “You go home and think: ‘Flipping hell, I just shook his hand, he knows my name’. It’s massive and to have his support is brilliant for the club and the players.”
Konsa also kept the compliment itself in his head. “He called me a Rolls-Royce once. That got stuck in my head. I’ll take that all day. It was really nice.” He then praised the consistency of William’s presence since he joined the team. “I’m sure he’d know every player’s name … since I joined he has been showing unreal support. coming into the changing room. greeting everyone and showing everyone the utmost respect. Massive credit to him for taking his time to come and watch us and support us.”.
William’s encouragement wasn’t limited to what he did in person. He had been vocal in the run-up to the final itself. Before the match, the Prince of Wales posted a rallying cry on social media: “Come on Villa! Good luck in tonight’s Europa League final. UTV! W”
That came after he’d shown up at the semi-final, when Villa dispatched Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest 4-0 to book their place in Wednesday night’s showpiece. In that earlier game, he was seen enthusiastically punching the air.
The attachment to Aston Villa is described as something William has carried since school days. when he explained how he chose the club while studying in Berkshire—rejecting the draw of more popular teams. “A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams. ” he told the BBC in 2015. He said he wanted a team that would keep delivering emotional swings. “I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”.
There was also a symbolic connection to timing and history. William was born 26 days after Villa’s last European victory, when they lifted the European Cup after defeating Bayern Munich on May 26, 1982.
So in Istanbul, the jubilation wasn’t just about silverware. It was about a long-held allegiance, shared in a box packed with familiar faces, and carried on by a Prince who—once the match was won—couldn’t keep the celebration inside his own body.
Prince William Aston Villa Europa League final Morgan Rogers Istanbul Ben Dawes Jake van Cutsem Edward van Cutsem Thomas van Straubenzee John McGinn Ezri Konsa Boubacar Kamara UTV Villa Till I Die