To think the Prince of Wales is being inappropriate and tone deaf to be so vocally supportive of England

[KimberleyClark]

At the World Cup. “The whole country is behind you”. Is it too much to ask that as Prince of Wales he supports Wales at their first ever World Cup?

He must be aware that a significant proportion of the people of Wales are a bit miffed at the speed with which he was given the title. Just goes to show the bubble he’s in.

Yes this is what I have a problem with. Happy for him to support England as he is English, but find it really bloody annoying for him to say the whole country is behind you, rather than the whole of England.

The rule though is when people talk about the whole country they can mean England.
If anyone said the whole country when they meant Scotland, Wales or NI there would be uproar.

Wills has form for being tone deaf.

Can't say I'm surprised at the latest example and I don't suppose it will be the last.

William seems a bit stupid. So I am sure he simply hasn't thought before he spoke.

Why would English people support Wales when England is still in the same competition?
Because not bothering to take any notice of Wales unless England are knocked out of the tournament before them seems rather like jumping on bandwagon. Fair enough support England over Wales if they're playing each other or if they're competing to qualify from their group and only one can, but otherwise either support both for the whole

Is England not a country?
If not, then Wales isn’t either, just a district of the UK. So what’s the problem, he’s a UK Prince with the title of one of the districts.

I doubt very much if Nicola Sturgeon said the ‘whole country’ while talking about a Scotland, there would be uproar.

Half my post got cut off. The rest of it said I'm Welsh but have a fair bit of English family. I supported England women at the euros and world Cup, would support Wales and England at rugby world cups, and Wales and England women's football teams if both qualified for future major tournaments. I'd add in supporting Scotland and NI too. I prefer not to support the England men's football team as I hate the endless hype around them when are in a major tournament, all the talk of their chances of winning, and the piling on of expectations. Not the team's fault I know, but it makes me not enjoy watching coverage of matches and supporting.

But Sturgeon represents Scotland and is a nationalist. The royals are supposed to represent the UK and not English nationalists.

Thats an excellent point you’ve brought up, who represents England alone?
Who can refer to England as ‘the whole country’ and just mean England?

I just don’t see the difference between saying the whole of the country is behind you, and the whole of England is behind you, if your problem is apparently he should represent everyone.
England is a country. He’s allowed to refer to it as such. Why can’t he?

If he’d said ‘the whole of the UK is behind you’ then your argument would make sense, and I’d get it. But that’s not what he said. He’s allowed to refer to just England, as refer to England as a country?!?

And could you point me to where he speaks in his capacity as Prince of Wales? His constitutional role, not a voluntary fun one?

But presumably on this occasion William was speaking in his capacity as President Designate of the FA, which specifically represents English football.

How is this a do or don’t issue? It’s the same issue. He shouldn’t be Prince of Wales because he’s English. He supports England because he’s English. You really don’t get the problem, do you?

How do we know when he stops being PoW. Is there a sign? A wink? A special handshake or code word?

William is still Prince of Wales but retains the Presidency of the FA, which he has held for many years.

I would have thought it obvious that, when sending a message to the English football team, he was speaking in his capacity as FA President Designate. But maybe it's not obvious enough to some, so perhaps some sort of code word is needed.

I’m so confused?!?
He’s not the Prince of Wales because he acknowledges England is also a country?!?
He said ‘the whole country’ not ‘the whole UK’

But would a Welsh person do that and support England too? No they wouldn't!

Well, since Wales does not tend to reach any major stages in cups, what would be the point...? 😆

YABU. "Anyone but England" is incredibly childish.

He comes across as clueless and poorly advised.

I am sure he has advisers that is fine. But it is still down to the individual if they take the advice of their advisers.

Really , shouldn't he be supporting Germany 😕?

Tbf he was the president of the FA before he was Prince of Wales and I say that as a Welsh person.

We'll have the Scottish cheering us on when we play England anyway 😉

William is also Patron of Welsh Rugby Union and once joked about how his support for Wales against England would lead to a row with his brother, who was then Patron of English Rugby Union.

Were posters above offended that he was supporting one British team against another, even though, according to them, he should represent the entire United Kingdom?

Well as I said in my follow up post, I certainly would support England women and the England rugby team (other than against Wales), just not the men's football team.