Princess Charlotte sides with mum Kate Middleton in a situation many families might relate to
They have plenty in common and that now includes something that leaves them at odds with Prince William
Emma Shacklock
From their twinning fashion moments to shared interests in ballet and playing piano, Princess Charlotte and her mum, Catherine, Princess of Wales are two peas in a pod. Now we know that Charlotte is taking after her mother in yet another way too - and it could possibly lead to some family tension in the future.
Prince William has let slip that, despite being a lifelong Aston Villa fan himself, his only daughter has followed in her mum’s footsteps and supports Chelsea Football Club instead.
During a visit to Nansledan in Cornwall, William met with young children at a nursery, and when he was told a young girl was a Chelsea fan he reportedly replied, "My daughter loves Chelsea."
Some might think this would come as a crushing blow to William - who is such a fan of the football team Aston Villa that he’s regularly spotted cheering them on at matches. The future King even recently travelled to Istanbul to witness them winning the Europa League Trophy for the first time in over 40 years.
However, he's always insisted his children can choose their own teams. In the past he apparently said, "I'm kind of hoping they'll all find their own teams in time. They don't all have to be Villa fans. I'm trying not to be biased but obviously they see how passionate I am about it and they watch the matches with me."
He also joked that Prince Louis refused to settle for just one and supports "about five different teams". It’s not all bad news for William, though. Twelve-year-old Prince George has inherited his father’s passion for Aston Villa.
Prince George and his father have been photographed at Aston Villa games over the years, letting their guard down and getting caught up in the drama of it all. When it comes to a house divided, it was first claimed that the Princess of Wales was a Chelsea FC supporter after a charity event in 2015.
Kate met a young girl at the event who later told reporters, "We high-fived because she supports Chelsea and I support Chelsea. I love people who support Chelsea."
This isn’t the only sport that leaves different family members on different sides, either. Prince William is the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union while Kate is patron of the English rugby team after taking over the patronage from Prince Harry.
During the 2023 Six Nations tournament, the Prince and Princess of Wales both attended the Wales vs England match in Cardiff. Speaking at a reception before the game, William joked, "I'm looking forward to today. It's going to be a very tense journey home. If we win today my wife won't speak to me. It will be a tense evening."
As it turned out, England came out on top, beating Wales 20-10. A loss for his team, but a victory for a peaceful home life.
