Prince William Cheers on Favorite Team in Surprise Outing: He's 'Buoyed' by Soccer amid Trying Times, Says Source

The Prince of Wales rooted for Aston Villa in Birmingham on the same day his daughter, Princess Charlotte, celebrated her 9th birthday

Prince William showed his passion for his favorite soccer team during an important game.

On May 2, the Prince of Wales, 41, was photographed at Aston Villa's home stadium, Villa Park in Birmingham, to see the squad play Greek team Olympiacos in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final.

William closely followed the game from his spot in a luxury box and had plenty of animated reactions to the action on the field, including some excited cheers and smiles. Unfortunately for the royal, Olympiacos beat Aston Villa 4-2, but the teams will meet again in the second leg of the semi-final on May 9.

Despite his team losing the game, a close source tells PEOPLE that watching Aston Villa has given Prince William a lift as both his wife, Kate Middleton, and father, King Charles, are undergoing treatment for cancer.

"He has been hugely buoyed by the results of Aston Villa," the source says. "You shouldn’t overlook the importance of soccer in these moments."

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Prince William is president of the Football Association, the governing body of English soccer, and has voiced support for the Aston Villa team since college.

He once explained, "A long time ago at school, I got into football big time. All my friends were Chelsea or Manchester United fans, and I didn't really want to follow the run-of-the-mill team. I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa has always had a great history," according to The Sun.

Related: Prince William Receives Gifts for Kate Middleton amid Cancer Treatment, Including One Their Kids Will Love (Exclusive)

Prince William recently spoke about his wife and children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and  Prince Louis — for the first time since Princess Kate, 42, announced on March 22 that she is undergoing chemotherapy after cancer was discovered following her January abdominal surgery.

"Do you mind if I ask how your wife and children are?" a woman asked the Prince of Wales following his visit to the charity James’ Place Newcastle on April 30.

"We're all doing well, thank you," the royal replied.

"And obviously Catherine?" the well-wisher continued.

"We're all doing well," Prince William said.

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The May 2 game marked the second time in recent weeks that Prince William has supported Aston Villa from the stands. He and his 10-year-old son Prince George, who has inherited his father's passion for the team, attended Villa's match against Lille OSC during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 quarterfinal in Birmingham.

Prince George sported a scarf in the squad's colors as they saw their team clinch the win with a score of 2-1.

Prince William's latest Villa game outing fell on a special occasion: Princess Charlotte's 9th birthday. To mark the milestone on May 2, the Prince and Princess of Wales continued a longstanding tradition and released a new portrait of their daughter.

"Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte! 🎂 Thank you for all of the kind messages today," read the caption of the snap shared across the couple's social media.

The photo was taken by Princess Kate in Windsor in the last few days and showed Charlotte smiling beside a garden fence with pale pink flowers. A close look revealed the blooms to be Clematis Elizabeth, a plant named after Queen Elizabeth, who died in 2022.

When she was born in 2015, William and Kate honored the Queen by naming their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

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