Prince Louis ‘supports five football teams', reveals Prince of Wales

Telegraph

21-05-2025

Prince Louis claims to support five different football teams, the Prince of Wales has revealed.
Prince William, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, an avid Aston Villa supporter, was in Leith, Scotland, to launch a project that will use the power of football to reduce social isolation.
When ten-year-old Shaniah presented him with a homemade Aston Villa poster and told him she supported two teams, he replied: 'My youngest at the moment says he supports five different football teams.'
The Duke has often taken Prince George, 11, to watch Aston Villa, with both father and son often sporting matching Villa scarves.
But it seems Prince Louis, seven, might plough his own furrow by choosing to support a different team – when he decides where his allegiances lie.
The Duke was greeted with huge cheers as he arrived at Leith Community Centre, where he could not resist showing off his own football skills by taking part in a penalty shoot out.
He was disappointed when the goalie saved his first shot but to his clear relief, managed to score on his second attempt, prompting loud cheers.
The Duke held up his hands in mock surprise as he said: 'That's it, I'm done now.'
In another room, he watched a group of flamenco dancers, artists and a group performing Kung Fu.
The Duke spent several minutes admiring the 'brilliant' artwork completed by those who use the centre, saying he was 'very impressed'.
'Wow, look at this,' he said. Turning to David Martin, 76, he said: 'No, this is something you made earlier. You didn't paint that? It's brilliant. You're a professional artist.'
Asked later what it was like to meet the Duke, Mr Martin said: 'Absolutely magic, he is so casual. Just a cool guy.'
He then spoke to David's wife, Eileen, who showed the royal visitor her landscapes.
'It's brilliant, you capture the sky fantastically,' he told her. 'I love landscapes, there is so much more colour and movement in them. I'm very impressed.'
William then chatted extensively to Gay Ellvers about her portraits. Picking up a portrait to take a closer look, he said: 'You should be selling these guys, these are incredible. You're so talented.'
Told it had taken 'about a week' to complete, he replied: 'No way,' he replied. 'I'm blown away.'
Picking up one piece, he said: 'That's amazing, honestly you should be selling these, guys, it's incredible, you're so talented.'
One young girl gave the Prince a picture she had made adorned with the words ' Aston Villa ', prompting him to say of the team's upcoming clash against Manchester United: 'We've got a big match on Sunday.'
The Duke also met a group from Edinburgh YMCA's Youth Forum, where he was introduced to Erin, nine, and Shaniah, who told him they had held a youth forum at Edinburgh City Council Chambers to discuss their concerns about the block of flats where they live.
Shaniah said they had told the council they were too frightened to use the lifts, have mould in their homes and are kept awake by anti-social behaviour that scares them.
'Did you have to speak in front of people?' the Duke asked her. 'Wow, it's not easy standing up and speaking. It takes a lot of courage, well done.'
He told the girls to keep it up. 'If you guys keep raising it then they can't ignore it,' he said.
The Royal Foundation has joined forces with Street Soccer Scotland to fund a project that will renovate and enhance Leith Community Centre.
It is just the latest in a string of initiatives backed by the Prince and Princess of Wales's foundation as part of its Community Impact programme, created in order to fulfil the couple's desire to create 'lasting impact and legacy' in communities across the UK.
Last month, the Prince and Princess announced during a visit to Mull that they had funded the refurbishment of a community hall and a new soft play area for young children.
The Prince hopes that the collaboration with Street Soccer Scotland and other local partners, including Leith Community Centre and YMCA Edinburgh, will create a 'blueprint' for similar initiatives that can be replicated up and down the country.
The coalition, called Leith United, aims to set a framework for sustainable funding for community spaces and initiatives that others can use and learn from.
The Prince spoke late last year about his more modern approach to royal duties, which he said had 'a smaller R in the royal'.
'It's more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people,' he said during a visit to Cape Town in November.
Street Soccer Scotland provides free football-themed training and personal development programmes for socially disadvantaged adults and young people across Scotland.
The charity will use the grant from the Royal Foundation to renovate Leith Community Centre, enhance existing sports-based initiatives and enable support for locals experiencing social challenges.
It will also recruit an employee to further the impact of the Leith United coalition.
The community centre offers language, dance and art classes, history groups, martial arts, and a variety of youth clubs and family crafts.