What Football Team Does The Royal Family Support?
Despite members of the Royal Family uniting when it comes to supporting England’s national teams, the same can’t be said for domestic clubs. The answer isn’t exactly a straightforward one either, with members of the Royal Family having spilt loyalties with supporting football teams. These deviations in allegiances allow for an intriguing insight into the personal lives of England’s monarchy.
King Charles III supports Burnley. Yes, you read that right. The monarch hinted he was a Clarets fan in 2010 when he was doing charity work in the area, and was even wearing a Burnley FC pin badge. The King was then gifted a Burnley home shirt the same year, sporting the No. 1 and the letters ‘HRH’ on the back.
In 2012 he confirmed the rumours at Windsor Castle when attending a public gathering event.
"A consortium of my charities, including the British Asian Trust, has been working in Burnley. Hence, some of you asked this evening whether I support a British football club and I said ‘yes, Burnley’.”
The resilience and commitment of the people of Burnley in difficult times has led to King Charles becoming fond of the club, something he expressed in his dinner speech for the British Asian Trust.
“Burnley has been through some very challenging times and I’m trying to find ways of helping to regenerate and raise aspirations and self-esteem in that part of the world.”
King Charles III Is A Claret!#twitterclarets pic.twitter.com/NwoQk8QN3m
— 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙛 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 | Burnley Fan Channel (@turfmoorhouse) September 9, 2022
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is a lifelong Aston Villa fan, which can be reflected in his regular attendance at Villa games over the years. He first visited Villa Park in November 2013 and has even travelled around Europe following the Birmingham-based side.
His allegiance to Aston Villa started in his schoolyears, as he broke away from the trend of supporting ‘top teams’. The former President of the Football Association (FA) goes on to explain why he made that decision.
“I was looking around for a club to support, and all my friends at school were either Manchester United fans or Chelsea fans.
“I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams, I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table, that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster moments.”
📸 Britain's Prince William and his son Prince George root for Aston Villa FC as they took on Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions' League fixture in Paris.
— ABC News (@ABC) April 10, 2025
Despite their royal supporters, Villa lost 3-1 to PSG.
Read more: https://t.co/0ZjTZaiboI pic.twitter.com/bCmHWTz9Hq
Compared to his brother, Prince Harry has taken a limited interest in football, as he hasn’t declared his loyalty to one particular club. He is thought to be an Arsenal fan, a club who his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II had a soft spot for, as Harry once mentioned that “most of the royal family are Arsenal fans.”
Since moving to the States, Prince Harry has attended some high-profile football matches, watching Inter Miami vs Los Angeles in September 2023. However his interest in the sport has declined over the years, with the Duke of Sussex admitting he prefers American Football and rugby.
“Having living here, I have got into American Football more than I probably should, especially Super Bowl – who doesn’t love a good Super Bowl?”
📜 2022 #Throwback: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy! #SuperBowl #PrinceHarry #HarryandMeghan #MeghanMarkle pic.twitter.com/imP8NZOipL
— MimiRoche (@Mimicinque) February 12, 2023
Prince Geroge has followed in his father’s footsteps when it comes to supporting a football team. The 11-year-old was even spotted in Paris when Aston Villa took on PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. His father, Prince William, insisted he didn’t want his children to be influenced by his choice to support Aston Villa when choosing a football team to follow. However despite that statement, Prince George has been keen to accompany his dad in attending Villa games, showcasing his support for the club.
William takes eldest son George to watch Villa in Paris https://t.co/SGnlBFuStX
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 10, 2025
Now you might be assuming that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, supports Aston Villa just like her husband and eldest son, however she doesn’t. Her footballing devotion lies with Chelsea, as it was revealed in 2015 during a charity event that she follows the Blues.
The Duchess of Cambridge even high-fived a young support, who said "We high-fived because she supports Chelsea and I support Chelsea. I love people who support Chelsea.”
Her love for the Blues is unknown, as at first glance you would think she’d support Reading. Considering she spent most of her childhood in Berkshire and lived next door to the former Reading owner John Madejski, you would be forgiven for thinking her loyalty lay with the team nicknamed the Royals.
Although it isn’t confirmed, it has been rumoured that Prince Andrew supports Norwich City. The Duke of York hasn’t been very vocal about which team he supports, as he is more of a golf fan than a football enthusiast. The royal residence of Sandringham Estate is located near Carrow Road, possibly explaining why Prince Andrew follows the Canaries.
Queen Camilla doesn’t follow a football club, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting involved with meeting players. In December 2022 the King and Queen Consort visited the Racecourse Ground, the home of Wrexham Football Club, to discover more about the renovation of the club. During their time at the stadium they met with the First, Women’s and Youth Teams with Camilla deep in conversation with the players.
🏴 King Charles and Queen Camilla with Wrexham players, staff and owners Rob McElhenney & Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham AFC's Racecourse Ground
— Eostre (@NorthernEostre) December 9, 2022
📷 Oli Scarff/AFP, Getty pic.twitter.com/C7x6aS7p1M
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