‘Prince William bought me a pint in Wetherspoons – he was proper down to earth’

Prince William was spotted enjoying a tipple with some of his fellow Aston Villa fans in a Birmingham Wetherspoons.

As a member of the Royal Family, Prince William must remain neutral at all times – except when it comes to football.

The heir to the throne is also a well-known Aston Villa supporter, having even brought his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte to cheer on the team.

Ahead of his team’s match against Everton in Merseyside, the future King sat down for a few pints with a few fellow Aston Villa supporters in central Birmingham.

He was photographed smiling and taking photos with the supporters, one of whom, Daniel Jones, 18, called the prince ‘proper down to earth’ when he bought a round of pints.

His drink of choice was a Bulmer’s Cider, but the prince left after half an hour to watch the match on television.

Solihull local John McEvoy, 64, told Sky: ‘William said a family friend took him to his first game – Villa against Bolton – and he’s loved the team ever since.

‘He said he would be watching the match on TV tonight. He was just a really nice, genuine bloke who really loves Villa. He contacted the club and they contacted some of us to arrange this, we knew he was coming, but it’s the first time we’ve met him.’

Some are confused by Prince William’s allegiance given he has little or no connection to that part of the country.

The Prince of Wales cleared up the matter during an interview with the BBC in 2015: ‘A long time ago at school I got into football big time.

‘All my friends were Chelsea or Manchester United fans and I didn’t really want to follow the run of the mill team.

‘I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa has always had a great history.

‘Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea.

‘It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time.

‘It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Iconic London grocer loved by the Royal Family set to close after 53 years

MORE: Is Everton vs Aston Villa on TV? Channel, live stream, team news and odds

MORE: Kate is ‘now in remission’ after visiting hospital where she was treated for cancer