Prince William Attends Soccer Championship with Prince George After Canceling Royal Duties

Prince Williamis having a sporty Saturday with Prince George.

The Prince of Wales, 41, attended the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London on May 25 with his 10-year-old son, who is also a soccer fan. William is president of the Football Association, the governing body of soccer in England and Wales, and awards the trophy to the winning team.

In photographs taken at the stadium, the Prince of Wales greeted the teams ahead of the game, including shaking hands with United's attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes and the team's manager, Erik ten Hag, as well as City midfielder Phil Foden.

William was also photographed sitting next to Prince George as they watched the match together. The Prince of Wales wore a dark blue suit for the occasion, which he teamed with a white shirt and a red, white and blue striped tie. George wore a similarly dark suit along with a blue and white striped tie and appeared to be intently watching the game alongside his father.

The outing came after Prince William and other members of the British royal family canceled planned engagements this week. After U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a surprise general election in early July, Buckingham Palace announced on May 21 that the royals would postpone outings "which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign." The royals, who are constitutionally non-political, traditionally leave the public space to the country's political parties during campaigns.

"Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those wh -

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o may be affected as a result," the spokesperson added.

Events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, including King Charles'first overseas tripsince he announced hiscancer diagnosisin February, are expected to go on as scheduled, while others — including astate visit at Buckingham Palace for the Emperor and Empress of Japanset for late June — are under review and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Prince William has been spotted at several games for his favorite soccer team, Aston Villa, in recent weeks as both his wife,Kate Middleton, and father,King Charles, are undergoing treatment for cancer. Aston Villa finished the season by reaching the UEFA Champions League for the first time, prompting a congratulatory tweet from their royal fan.

"He has been hugely buoyed by the results of Aston Villa," a close source tells PEOPLE. "You shouldn’t overlook the importance of soccer in these moments."

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William was joined by Prince George, at Aston Villa's game on April 11. The Prince of Wales confirmed his eldest child was following in his footsteps as a Villa fan — as he left the stadium, Prince William was asked if Prince George was now “part of the pride," a phrase Villa supporters use to describe their team’s followers.

"Oh yes, he's loving it,” William replied, according to sports journalistNeil Moxley, who shared the exchange on X.

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