Prince William apologises for 'hoarse voice' at royal engagement after cheering on England
By Karishma Sarkari|
Prince William had a relatable moment as he spoke at a royal engagement in London on Thursday.
The Prince of Wales, who is not only an avid football fan but also the UK's Football Association president, had lost his voice a little after cheering on his beloved England in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday night (Thursday morning AEST).
Backing it up the next morning with work commitments, like millions of other Brits, the royal told guests at the Homewards event he'd "got a hoarse voice after last night".
READ MORE: King gives shout out to Prince William in speech
He praised the match-winning goal from Ollie Watkins, who plays for Aston Villa - Prince William's favourite team in the English Premier League.
"I have a little moment when I thought '...he might do this'!? I was willing him on when he came on," the Prince of Wales said, according to Telegraph UK.
"It was a hell of a goal."
Following the game, William took to social media to congratulate the player.
"What a beauty, Ollie! Congratulations England!" he wrote, in a personal post on X.
READ MORE: King Charles put to work in factory during visit to Wales
At Thursday's Lambeth event for Homewards – Prince William's ambitious five-year project to end homelessness – the royal not only celebrated the football win but the first year of the program.
The royal met with members from the six flagship locations - Aberdeen; Lambeth; Newport; Northern Ireland; Sheffield; Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole - and heard about the work going on at each.
Prince William also delivered a speech, praising what's already been achieved, something he said had "never been done before on this scale".
"I have though, been struck by the scale of the work that has been carried out since the launch of Homewards and I hope it is a powerful reminder to everyone of what can be achieved when we work together towards a shared goal," Prince William said.
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"Coalitions have been built, bringing together over 500 individuals and organisations who are setting ambitious priorities and co-developing new ways of addressing homelessness, that are local, relevant and collaborative – something that has never been done before on this scale."
While the Prince of Wales said the "incredible amount of work" done over the last 12 months had built "the foundations for success", he stressed there was much more to go.
"Already, a pipeline of nearly 100 homes is being established through the innovative housing projects which will be developed in each location – and believe me – my ambitions alone mean there will be so many more!," he said.
"We are also working to change the way we all think about homelessness. Today, homelessness touches so many more than the men and women we sadly see on our streets.
"We will improve understanding about the different forms of homelessness, shifting perceptions and boosting optimism that it can be ended."
Prince William has been a champion of charities combatting homelessness for decades now.
He was inspired to pursue the social issue after visits to homeless shelters as a young boy with his mum, Princess Diana.
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