Prince William and Prince Charles speak out against 'sickening' Euros racism

Prince William and Prince Charles have condemned the racist abuse against the English team following their loss to Italy at the Euro 2020 final

NORFOLK, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 05: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visit to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn as part of the NHS birthday celebrations on July 5, 2020 in Norfolk, England. Sunday marks the 72nd anniversary of the formation of the National Health Service (NHS). The UK has hailed its NHS for the work they have done during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by Joe Giddens - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Joe Giddens - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince William and Prince Charles have condemned the racist abuse against England football players following the country's loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 finals last night. 


Prince William and Prince Charles have united to publicly condemn the racism against the England team in the wake of yesterday's Euro 2020 finals. 

In a Twitter statement published today, the Duke of Cambridge revealed he is "sickened" by the actions of some England football fans following their team's defeat and has demanded an immediate end to the "abhorrent behavior." 

The Three Lions lost by penalties to Italy at the end of yesterday's tense match at Wembley, bringing Britain's hopes of winning the European soccer tournament for the first time to a crushing end. 

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and President of the Football Association applaud during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

(Image credit: (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images))

England's devastation was inflamed by the behavior of a small yet significant subset of fans, who took to social media after the defeat to attack three of the team's black players with vitriolic bigotry. Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford were all targeted after they each missed a penalty, with countless people storming their social media accounts with racist abuse. 

Prince William, who joined devastated royal fans in sharing 'heartbreak' after the painful England defeat, was quick to slam the disturbing attacks. 

"I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match," he wrote on Twitter. "It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behavior. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W." 

Prince William's strong words were echoed by his father, Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales weighed in on the issue on Twitter shortly after his son's statement, countering the racist remarks with a poignant message celebrating Britain's multicultural landscape. 

"Recognizing the rich diversity of cultures which make this country so special—and in many ways unique—lies at the heart of what we can be as a nation," he wrote, referencing one of his own quotes from Windrush Day 2020. He also congratulated the England team for becoming finalists in the 61-year-old football tournament, reminding them they "made us [the country] proud." 

The unified stance against prejudice comes just a few months after the Royal Family was accused of racism by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made shocking comments about Archie during their bombshell CBS interview with Oprah, revealing that concerns expressed were expressed at Buckingham Palace over their unborn son's potential skin color. When questioned by a reporter on the allegations, Prince William promptly responded, "We are very much not a racist family." 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.

Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.