Prince William has reportedly been given the green light to attend Aston Villa's UEFA Europa League final against Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday, May 20. The Prince of Wales, a devoted Villa fan, is said to be working hard to fit the trip into his busy schedule.
Royal Schedule Challenges
William was present at Saturday's FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City in his role as FA patron. Now, he is determined to watch Villa's historic European final, but faces logistical hurdles. The 3,900-mile round trip involves two four-hour flights within a short period, and he is due in Cornwall for engagements the following day.
A royal source commented: "We're working hard to make it work if we can. It's definitely not one he's going to miss."
Historic Match for Aston Villa
This final marks Villa's first European final since they won the European Cup in 1982, beating Bayern Munich. Fans quickly snapped up their 10,758-ticket allocation at the 44,000-seater stadium, with thousands more expected to travel to Istanbul.
William, 43, was seen celebrating at Villa Park when the team defeated Nottingham Forest 4-0 last week to secure a 4-1 aggregate victory. He even joined the squad in the dressing room afterwards. The prince admitted to having "bags under the eyes" the next morning when he and Kate Middleton hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party.
Upcoming Engagements
On Thursday, May 21, William is scheduled to visit Nansledan's Market Street development in Cornwall. The project features the first new high street of its kind in over a century, along with 900 homes, a primary school, offices, a community centre, more than 40 businesses, and green spaces.
The Europa League final kicks off at 8pm local time in Istanbul, with Villa facing German side Freiburg.
