His grandmother had a passion for horses and horse racing. His father was a polo player — a sport associated with the English aristocracy — one that the current heir to the throne and his brother Harry also took up. But how did he end up standing in the stands of Beşiktaş Park, singing Sweet Caroline alongside the supporters of Aston Villa F.C.? In a rare interview for a member of the British royal family, given to the BBC, William, Prince of Wales used the term “roller-coaster,” which literally refers to an amusement park ride that climbs and plunges at speed. Metaphorically, in the language of football, it describes the emotional swings from joy to disappointment. “All my friends at school supported Manchester United or Chelsea,” he said, before later explaining why he chose differently. “I wanted a team somewhere in the middle of the table, so I could experience both the joy of victory and the disappointment of defeat.” When he first went to a football match in 2000, to watch the FA Cup semi-final between Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers F.C., he was struck by the passion of the Villa supporters. For years, his support for the Birmingham club remained discreet, partly because of his institutional role as president of the The Football Association. Gradually, however, he began appearing more frequently at Villa Park, recently accompanied by his eldest son, Prince George of Wales. His spontaneous reactions – usually celebrations, since the team performed well this season – have earned him the affection of football fans, who were unaccustomed to seeing a royal share his passion for the sport in such an authentic way. In 2019, “Sweet Caroline” was adopted as Aston Villa’s official anthem and has been played over the stadium speakers after every victory ever since.
Sweet Caroline
