The Prince of Wales struggled to contain his emotion this evening, as his beloved Aston Villa progressed into the Europa League final.
As ever, Prince William was in attendance for the crunch European fixture against Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, in which his side soared to a 4-0 victory over their opponents.
The Villains were dominant from the off and made it count when talisman Ollie Watkins finished from close range after an elegant run from playmaker Emi Buendia.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the second half when the Argentine Buendia scored from the spot, before captain John McGinn, who met with the Prince of Wales before kick-off, curled the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box, displaying ultimate composure.
The Scottish skipper was at hand yet again mere minutes later in an almost identical chance; however, this time he slotted it in at the near post of Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
The fourth and final goal capped a tremendous night for the Villa faithful, which began hours earlier when thousands of supporters descended on Villa Park and created a truly ferocious atmosphere.
No fan contributed more to the noisy environment than the Prince of Wales himself, as William roared with emotion every time the claret-and-blue side found the back of the net.
Cameras spotted him leaping into the air, thrashing his arms, and screaming with pure joy – he certainly enjoyed his Thursday evening.
The Prince of Wales struggled to contain his emotion this evening, as his beloved Aston Villa progressed into the Europa League final
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GETTY
Cameras spotted him leaping into the air, thrashing his arms, and screaming with pure joy – he certainly enjoyed his Thursday evening
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GETTY
Following full-time, the confirmation of their historic victory, William could be seen belting out Sweet Caroline along with 40,000 Aston Villa fans in scenes of pure elation.
Notably, however, Prince George was absent from the game tonight, having previously attended fixtures with his dad.
The commanding victory this evening sets up another monumental fixture for William’s side, as they face German side SC Freiburg in the final later in the month.
No fan contributed more to the noisy environment than the Prince of Wales himself
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GETTY
Pyrotechnics and more than 40,000 Aston Villa fans created a ferocious atmosphere on the evening
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REUTERS
Whether the Prince of Wales will make the trip to Istanbul to support his cherished side is yet unknown.
The fixture gives Villa a genuine shot at breaking a 43-year curse since they last lifted a European trophy.
The last time they managed to pick up such esteemed silverware was May 1982, when they beat German giants Bayern Munich in the final of the European Cup.
William, born on June 21, 1982, was born merely weeks after the Birmingham-based club clinched the elusive European title.
It isn’t just a European journey that William’s side have been successful in this year, either.
The claret-and-blue side currently sit fifth in the Premier League, as they look set to return to the coveted Champions League next season.