Prince William greets FA Cup final players in bitter-sweet moment ahead of key role

greeted players on the pitch before sitting down to watch the final at Wembley Stadium in London.

It's a bitter-sweet moment for the Prince of Wales as cemented their position in the final against City after a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, the club he proudly supports. Later, William, dressed in a smart navy suit with a navy and pink striped tie, will present the coveted trophy to this weekend's victors.

William was photographed shaking hands with Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, of , Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Manchester City's Spanish manager before the teams sang the national anthem.

The prince became the patron of the Association last summer after a lengthy 18-year tenure as its president, stepping into the shoes once filled by his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. In previous years, William has been joined by his football-mad son, , 11.

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Both father and son are keen supporters, with William, 42, often spotted at FA Cup Finals, including last year's match between Man City and Man United. He took along George, who got the chance to meet Man City star and legendary manager .

Last year, William also took George to watch Aston Villa play against Lille in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final. George wore a Villa-branded scarf, and the duo were spotted cheering and applauding for their team when they secured a 2-1 win.

The young royal has also appeared at numerous high-profile England matches, including the Euro final in 2020 and last year's heart-wrenching Euro final defeat to Spain in Berlin.

Noting the princes' love for the sport, previously revealed to "George loves his football. I've played numerous times in the garden with him. He's passionate about Aston Villa, too. Wherever he is, he'll sit down and watch that game."

William fell in love with Villa after being taken to matches by family friends and has said he now posts anonymously on fan forums. During an interview with the Sun newspaper in March, he said: “With the camaraderie among the fans and the chanting and the singing, I just felt like I belonged there.”

He added: “I like going on the forums, I can be on there for ages. I listen to what other fans have to say and give them my opinions. I get quite into it, definitely. It’s important to have that debate.”

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