Prince William's Royal Title Backlash Comes to a Head in Key Soccer Match

Prince William's support for the England soccer team is in the spotlight as they attempt to knock Wales out of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

William has supported the England soccer team since he was a child, however, since the day after Queen Elizabeth II died in September he has had the official title Prince of Wales.

The royal triggered a backlash after turning out to support the England players before the team flew to Qatar, giving them their World Cup shirt numbers.

Welsh actor Michael Sheen was among those to slam William, asking whether he had "not a shred of embarrassment" on Twitter considering his official title, later adding that the problem extended beyond soccer.

Sheen said it was wrong for William to hold the title Prince of Wales at all as an Englishman.

Now William, who is president of the Football Association, the governing body of English soccer, must now decide whether to continue his past vocal and public support for the England team in its final group match.

Wales, having tied with the U.S. but lost to Iran, must beat England by four goals or more at 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in the U.K.) today (November 29) to stay in the World Cup.

At the same time, England could still go out of the tournament despite leading Group B but only if they lose heavily to Wales.

Earlier in November, Sheen wrote of William seeing off the England team: "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."

He added: "I didn't say it's insensitive to leave out the Welsh team. For those who care the issue is that the title Prince of Wales (PoW) seems inappropriate to be held by anyone not Welsh and this is just an instance of the absurdity. It's not about supporting England or Wales or both."

The title was previously held by King Charles III, though Britain's new monarch was a less dedicated follower of soccer.

Kristen Meinzer, co-host of Newsweek podcast The Royal Report, told the show: "I personally think Sheen is totally making a fair point here and one that those of us in the States haven't really examined."

"They're not Welsh," she added. "Why are you getting this title? In my mind it's kind of similar to those military titles."

After the backlash following his initial support for the England team, Prince William was asked about the conflict of loyalties during a visit to the Welsh parliament, the Senedd.

The prince said: "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.

"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."

Since then, he has been more muted about the World Cup, though he did post two Twitter messages, one in English and one in Welsh, wishing both sides good luck before their opening matches.

The English version read: "Wishing the very best of luck to @Cymru and @England as they kick off in the #FifaWorldCup today. Looking forward to watching! W."

William visibly celebrated England's success during EURO 2020, held across June and July in 2021.

Alongside Kate Middleton and Prince George, he cheered the team's goals and shared the tension with fans as the hosts lost the final against Italy on penalties at Wembley Stadium in London.

William's World Cup may have also been more low key because he has not traveled to Qatar to watch the games live, against the backdrop of an international backlash over human rights, homophobia and gender equality.

And the prince may also have other issues on his mind during today's game, as he is poised to fly to America to bring his Earthshot Prize climate awards to Boston.