Prince William's support for the England soccer team is "entirely inappropriate" given his new royal role as Prince of Wales, according to Welsh actor Michael Sheen.
He asked whether the future king had "a shred of embarrassment" after Prince William attended an event to see off the England squad before the players flew to Qatar to take part in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The future king was acting in his role as president of the governing body of English soccer, the Football Association, though a press release for the event described him using his new title Prince of Wales.
Wales has also qualified for the tournament in the same group as England and the two countries are due to play each other on November 29.
Sheen wrote on Twitter: "He can, of course, support whoever he likes and as Pres of FA his role makes visit understandable—but surely he sees holding the title Prince of Wales at same time is entirely inappropriate? Not a shred of embarrassment? Or sensitivity to the problem here? #PrinceofWales."
On Wednesday, William visited Welsh Parliament, The Senedd, where he spoke about the delicate balance around his support for both the England and Wales.
In footage posted by Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English, he told dignitaries: "I'm telling everyone I'm supporting both, definitely. I can't lose but I've supported England since I've been quite small. But I support Welsh rugby and that's my kind of way of doing it.
The Prince of Wales is at the Senedd today for the first time where he spoke about the difficulty of also supporting England in the forthcoming World Cup.
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) November 16, 2022
‘I’m telling everyone I’m supporting both…I’ve supported England since I’ve been quite small. But I support Welsh rugby… pic.twitter.com/X776fE9mzt
"I happily support Wales over England in the rugby so I've got to be able to play like carefully with my affiliations. I worry otherwise if I suddenly drop England to support Wales then that doesn't look right for the sport either. So I can't do that."
He added that he understood that qualifying for the tournament is a "big deal for Wales," after they had failed to reach the World Cup during his childhood.
William made a surprise visit to present England players with the official tournament squad numbers they will have on the back of their shirts as they perform for their country, under the leadership of manager Gareth Southgate.
The royal told the players: "What you and Gareth have built here is something special, that's clear to see. Play for each other, support each other, enjoy it, and I'm sure you'll go far."
Southgate said in a statement: "It was a nice moment to be with the group and Prince William, who has been a huge supporter of ours.
"I know how passionate the players are about their country and it was great to see what it meant to each of them as they came forward.
"As staff and players, we are all so privileged to represent England and we are excited to see what's possible together. We want to make the fans proud again."
Prince William has been a long-standing and passionate supporter of the England soccer team, taking his son Prince George to matches alongside his wife, Kate Middleton.
He tweeted his disappointment after England lost the European Championship final on penalties to Italy in July 2021, saying that "it wasn't our day."
The prince wrote: "Heartbreaking. Congratulations@Azzurri on a great victory. @England, you've all come so far, but sadly this time it wasn't our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves—I know there's more to come. W"
However, that was all before William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales—meaning the Qatar World Cup will be the first test of how Wales reacts to William's support for England.
They inherited the titles from William's father King Charles III when Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8.
The following day, Charles announced: "Today I am proud to create [William] Prince of Wales, the country whose title I've been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.
"With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground, where vital help can be given."
Update 11/16/22, 7:31 a.m. ET: This article was updated with Prince William's remarks from his Wednesday visit to The Senedd.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
