Lionesses praised by royals after reaching World Cup final
Prince William will not travel to Australia to support England for the Women's World Cup final, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
The Prince of Wales is president of the Football Association but will not travel to Sydney to support the Lionesses after their semi-final victory against the host nation.
No specific reason was issued by the Palace for his decision not to attend but it would require a long journey for a short period of time in Australia.
William is currently enjoying a break from his royal duties to spend time with his family over the summer and is expected to visit Balmoral this month.
The Prince watched the semi-final match on Wednesday on television and praised the team after the match, tweeting: “What a phenomenal performance from the – on to the final! Commiserations to The Matildas, you've played brilliantly and been fantastic co-hosts of this World Cup. W”
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Royal expert Phil Dampier has spoken out on William’s decision to miss Sunday’s final, which will be broadcast at 11am.
He said: “If Prince William as President of the FA isn’t going to the Women’s World Cup final we should be told why not.
“It’s a long way and Australia hasn’t had a visit by him or The King since Charles came to the throne. That’s the problem. If the final was in Europe he’d be there!”
The match comes a year after England won the Euro 2022, with the Lionesses clinching England's first victory since the men's 1966 win.
So what do YOU think? Should William attend the World Cup final to cheer on the Lionesses? Vote in our poll and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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