Prince William
“Shameful!” Boos for the Royal in the cup final at Wembley
© Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
Prince William probably did not expect that: as President of the English Football Association, the royal attended the FA Cup final between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at the Wembley Arena in London on May 14th. There he was met with an unexpected wave of rejection.
Prince William, 39, has been President of the English Football Association for 15 years – but Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, 96, has probably never experienced a scenario of this magnitude: According to the “Daily Mail” he was out with deafening boos when entering the legendary Wembley Stadium the ranks of Liverpool fans. No reception that the heir to the throne is otherwise used to.
Prince William keeps his composure
The supporters of the club of coach Jürgen Klopp, 54, are said not to have taken a break from their abuse even during the anthem “God Save The Queen”. In the meantime, this has become commonplace in games, it is said. But just when a member of the royal family steps onto the lawn?
Prince William kept his composure during the uncomfortable situation and calmly greeted the teams and their coaches. He then watched the game from his seat in the stands before presenting the medals to Klopp and his players. Despite the hostile reception of the Liverpool fans, the royal was as usual polite and relaxed after the game: “What an atmosphere! Congratulations Liverpool! Very well deserved after a long journey,” he praised the team.
“Shameful Behavior”
The political echo of the humiliating action from the fan rows, on the other hand, was outraged: “I strongly condemn all the fans who booed Prince William at Wembley Stadium today,” said Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons. “The FA Cup final should be an opportunity for us to come together as a country. It shouldn’t be ruined by the utterly shameful behavior of a minority of fans. In this year of all years – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – that’s awful.”
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Karen Bradley of the Conservative Party wants tough consequences: “I call on the Football Association to take all necessary measures and to prosecute those responsible.”
That’s the reason for the boos
The boos against Prince William stem from the country’s history and relate to the Hillsborough disaster, which was 33 years ago. At that time, 97 people died due to a stampede at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during Liverpool FC’s encounter with Nottingham Forest 97. Another 766 people were injured.
The boos that rang out during the national anthem are angry echoes of the then Conservative government, which fans felt had done too little to fully address the tragedy.
Source used: dailymail.co.uk