Prince William Celebrates as England Women Claim European Soccer Crown for First Time

Phil Boucher
·3 min read
11
Beth Mead of England shakes hands with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge following the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31, 2022 in London, England.
Beth Mead of England shakes hands with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge following the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31, 2022 in London, England.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Prince William congratulates England striker Beth Mead

Prince William cheered his soccer team to victory at the Women's Euro 2020 finals Sunday.

The Duke of Cambridge, 40, attended the showpiece event at London's Wembley Stadium in his capacity as president of England soccer's governing body the Football Association.

The soccer team – nicknamed "the Lionesses" – beat Germany 2-1 after extra time in the final, cheered on by a crowd of 87,000 fans, a record attendance for the final match of a European Championship in both the women's and men's games.

Following in the footsteps of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, William also enjoyed the very rare duty of handing over a major soccer trophy to winning England captain Leah Williamson. The Queen was the last royal to perform the duty when England won the soccer World Cup at Wembley Stadium in 1966.

England's Chloe Kelly celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday July 31, 2022.
England's Chloe Kelly celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday July 31, 2022.

Nigel French/PA Images via Getty England's Chloe Kelly celebrates scoring their side's winning goal

Queen Elizabeth also sent a message of "warmest congratulations" to the winning team on behalf of the royal family.

"It is a significant achievement for the entire team, including your support staff," wrote the Queen, 96. "The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise. However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned. You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations. It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today."

The monarch signed the message "Elizabeth R."

RELATED: Inside Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis' Favorite Hobbies

Prince William hands the Euro 22 trophy to England captain Leah Williamson
Prince William hands the Euro 22 trophy to England captain Leah Williamson

Prince William hands the Euro 22 trophy to England captain Leah Williamson

On Sunday, William, 40, and daughter Princess Charlotte, 7, got into the mood for the game by rooting for their team on Instagram.

"We both want to wish the lionesses the best of luck tonight, you've done amazingly well in the competition and we're rooting for you all the way!," Willam said in a video message before Charlotte added "Good luck! I hope you win. Bye!'

The caption on the post read "Good luck tonight @Lionesses, we're all cheering for you!"

William is a regular visitor to matches, most notably alongside Prince George, 9, and Kate Middleton, 40, at the men's Euro 2020 games last summer.

Charlotte is also a "budding star" in soccer, her dad recently revealed, and has previously joined her family at matches featuring Aston Villa, William's favorite team.

Prince William also passed on a message to the Lionesses from his daughter when he joined them for practice last month.

"Charlotte wanted me to tell you that she is really good at goal," William said. "She said, 'Please tell them that.' She's a budding star for the future."

Prince William also returned home from the outing with special gifts for his children: personalized jerseys featuring their ages as numbers!

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! 

England's players celebrate with the trophy after their win in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final football match between England and Germany at the Wembley stadium, in London, on July 31, 2022. - England won a major women's tournament for the first time as Chloe Kelly's extra-time goal secured a 2-1 victory over Germany at a sold out Wembley on Sunday.

FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty England's players celebrate with the trophy after their win in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final

Prince William shared his congratulations to the Lionesses via Twitter earlier this week for earning their spot in the Euro 2020 final with a 4-0 victory over Sweden.

RELATED: Prince George Has a Casual Nickname for Dad Prince William

"Congratulations @Lionesses on making it to the #WEURO2022 final on Sunday. The entire country is so proud of everything you're achieving. We believe in you and will be with you all the way!" William wrote, signing off with a "W" to indicate the personal nature of the message.