Lionesses arrive home to celebrate historic back-to-back Euros wins
England's women's team have returned home to excited fans after an historic Euros win in Switzerland.
They beat Spain 3-1 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the final, with Chloe Kelly netting the winning shot, to land back-to-back Euros titles.
Fans waited for hours outside Southend Airport for the team to arrive and cheered loudly when they touched down.
The women then attended a reception at Downing Street with the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
The team will celebrate with the public during an open-top bus procession in central London on Tuesday.
Homecoming celebrations start at 12.10pm and will travel along The Mall.
"We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Central London tomorrow for the Homecoming celebrations," the FA said in a statement on X.
There will then be a ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace from 12.30, with the event set to wrap up around 1pm.
Fans can attend for free, and it will be broadcast live on ITV, BBC and Sky.
The reception at Downing Street was due to begin about 5PM but the event was pushed back after the Lionesses' plane from Switzerland was delayed.
The red carpet was rolled out at No 10 Downing Street for the team's arrival just before 7PM.
England manager Sarina Wiegman addressed the reception, apologising for giving England supporters "lots of heart attacks".
"You all made it through and we made it through and that's why we're here now," she said.
'The team is just incredible, we won the Euros but making the final, we're already legendary.
"It's surreal what has happened last night."
Wiegman said while steps had been taken to improve access to women's football in England, the country was "not there yet" and needed more investment.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the Lionesses had defended the title "with grit and with determination and skill".
"You roared and I know I wasn't the only one roaring with you," she told guests at the reception.
"You've made us all so, so proud.
"Your performances have inspired a nation and lifted women's football to new heights."
Players, coaches and Football Association representatives are in attendance, along with Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock.
There have been calls for a bank holiday to mark the Lionesses' triumph, but the government suggested the team is too successful for that to be feasible.
"If we had a bank holiday every time Lionesses won we'd never go to work," a government spokesperson said on Monday.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously backed calls for a bank holiday when the team reached the finals of the World Cup in 2023.
He said the Lionesses had 'once again captured the hearts of the nation' and were 'an inspiration for young people across the country'.
To celebrate the win, the Royal Mail will mark the occasion with a congratulatory postmark – which will be applied to stamped mail across the UK from Monday to Friday.
One unofficial team member who joined in with the celebrations was Reggie the Cavapoo, who belongs to the owner of Cheals on Wheels, a mobile barista bar that accompanied the Lionesses in Switzerland.
The company wrote on Instagram that Reggie had 'gone international' and was 'soaking up all the love (and sneaky treats) from the team' in Switzerland.
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