Prince William made an unexpected stop on New Heights and ended up sharing a surprising detail about King Charles. While chatting about football with Travis and Jason Kelce, the Prince of Wales casually revealed that his father isn’t exactly a fan of the world’s most popular sport.
The royal appearance wasn’t all serious business, though. Between teasing the Kelce brothers about calling it “soccer,” joking about America’s 250th birthday, and even poking fun at Travis Kelce’s surprise Eras Tour cameo, William kept the conversation light while giving listeners a rare glimpse into royal family life.
Prince William revealed his father King Charles “hates football”
The biggest surprise came when Travis asked whether William inherited his love of Aston Villa from King Charles. “Did your dad get you into Aston Villa or is this your own doing?” Travis asked on the New Heights podcast.
“Absolutely not. My father hates football,” William replied with a laugh.
Instead, the future king explained that his passion for the game started thanks to childhood friends, recalling that football conversations were impossible to escape at school. He also shared that watching Aston Villa’s relegation years ago only made him a more devoted supporter.
“So I think weirdly, this sounds very odd, but I got into football more than ever when we got relegated,” William said. He admitted the club’s performances still dictate his mood. “My weekend goes from being either the best weekend in the world when we win… Or frankly, I don’t want to see anyone on Monday morning because I’m really down.”
The conversation also turned to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, with William promising he’d travel to the United States if England reached the final. When Travis jokingly called the sport “soccer,” William quickly corrected him: “Football.”
Jason Kelce then shifted gears, asking whether William was surprised America had made it to its 250th birthday.
“There were times,” William joked, before adding, “I’d like to think the U.K. and the U.S. would be together for those 250 years… It’s a good brotherhood.”
The episode wasn’t short on family moments either. Jason recalled meeting Princess Charlotte at Wembley Stadium, calling her “still the highlight for me.” William congratulated Jason on raising four daughters, joking, “I don’t know how you do that.”
And when Travis asked William to choose between his 2015 touchdown at Wembley or serving as a backup dancer during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the prince didn’t hesitate.
“Travis as a backup dancer,” William quipped. The appearance came just days after PEOPLE reported that William and Princess Kate would not attend Travis and Taylor Swift’s rumored New York City wedding, despite the royal’s friendly relationship with the pop superstar.
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED TO HEAR PRINCE WILLIAM SAY KING CHARLES “HATES FOOTBALL”?
