Prince William's five-word confession to England women's star speaks volumes

Prince William once told Beth Mead that he "doesn't need" all the top-level security measures around him at football matches. The Prince of Wales will be in attendance at the Women's Euro final between England and Spain on Sunday as he backs the Lionesses to get the job done and retain a major trophy for the first time in history. Sarina Wiegman's side have been on a turbulent journey in Switzerland so far, undertaking 240 minutes of football throughout the knockout rounds of the Euros against Sweden and Italy to make the final of the tournament in Basel.

Prince William will be hoping that Mead and the rest of the squad can do the business against Spain on Sunday evening, as he attends the all-important match surrounded by highly-skilled bodyguards and with strict security measures in place. However, the upcoming monarch told the 30-year-old that all this fuss wasn't wanted while he was taking in the game.

During the royal honours ceremony in 2023, the England striker opened up about her meeting with the Prince of Wales and commended him on his humble nature. Mead said that while William is "football mad", he "doesn't like all the stuff that comes around him".

Speaking to Hello! Magazine, she added: "Obviously, he's got all of his bodyguards around, but he just says, 'Oh, I don't need it' and he just loves football," she revealed in an honest five-word confession about the Prince.

Mead added: "I had the pleasure of getting an MBE and he was the one who gave it to me. It was so nice to see his face light up when he saw someone that he could talk football with. We had a chat for a minute, but it felt like two seconds and you can just tell he loves his sport."

This admission from Prince William speaks volumes, as it shows his humble nature and desire to blend in like a normal member of the crowd. This has been shown on many occasions in the past, especially when the Prince of Wales attends Aston Villa games with his eldest son Prince George, who has been seen celebrating wildly with his dad in the stands.

As president of the English FA, Prince William will once again be in attendance as Mead and the rest of the Lionesses take on Spain in what is set to be a historic match in women's football. Following a penalty shootout win in the quarter-finals against Sweden, and a 119th-minute penalty rebound from Chloe Kelly to beat Italy 2-1, England fans will be hoping that the squad has recovered in time to be fresh for the final 90 - or potentially 120 - minutes of this competition.

On the other hand, Spain are coming into the final having played extra-time against Germany, where a swerving strike from Aitana Bonmati was enough to win the game for the world champions. The Ballon d'Or winner showed her class with a bending strike that caught Ann-Katrin Berger out just minutes before extra-time was up, sending Spain into their first ever Euros final.

England will be hoping to exact some much-needed revenge on Spain, following their 1-0 loss to the current champions at the Women's World Cup in 2023.