Prince William walks diplomatic tightrope over World Cup allegiance

It was his first diplomatic challenge of the new royal era.

How could the Prince of Wales win the support of the Welsh people when he is also an ardent England football fan? 

Prince William found himself walking a delicate tightrope on Wednesday as he sought to address the thorny issue of divided loyalties following a volley of criticism led by Welsh actor Michael Sheen.

An England vs Wales final, he insisted during a visit to the Senedd in Cardiff, would be the ideal scenario during the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar. 

“I’m telling everyone I’m supporting both, definitely,” he said. “I can’t lose.”

Not everyone agreed.

The trouble started on Monday, following the Prince’s visit to St George’s Park, where the Prince presented the England players with their World Cup shirts.

As a longstanding fan and President of the Football Association, he told them: “I’m sure you’ll go far... the rest of the country is behind you. We are all rooting for you. Enjoy it.”

In any other year, it would hardly have been contentious.

But this happened to be the first time since 1958 that Wales had qualified for the World Cup finals.

It also came just weeks after his father, the King, made him Prince of Wales.

Leading the backlash was Mr Sheen, who revealed two years ago that he had returned his OBE in order to speak out against the practice of handing the title of Prince of Wales to the heir apparent to the English throne. 

The actor took to Twitter to say that William’s message to the England squad was “entirely inappropriate” given his title.

“Not a shred of embarrassment? Or sensitivity to the problem here?” he asked. 

Hundreds of his supporters concurred.

The Prince’s visit to the Senedd offered a timely opportunity to set things straight.

Highlighting his role as patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, he told local politicians: “I’ve supported England since I’ve been quite small. 

“But I support Welsh rugby and that’s my way of doing it. I happily support Wales over England in the rugby so…I’ve got to be able to play carefully with my affiliations.”

He added: “I worry otherwise if I suddenly drop England to support Wales then that doesn’t look right for the sport either, so I can’t do that.”

The Llywydd, or presiding officer, Elin Jones, replied: “We can agree to disagree.” 

The Prince acknowledged that for Wales to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958 was a “big deal.”

He added: “An England v Wales World Cup final would be the best, that would be pretty good.

“I’m making sure I’m out there supporting Wales through all the process because I know this is a big deal for Wales.

“When I was growing up, Wales didn’t get through to the tournaments so I had to make a choice.”

Mr Sheen did not immediately respond to the Prince’s comments last night.

Mr Sheen performed a rousing speech in support of the Welsh team during a recent television appearance, chanting: “When the English come knocking on our door let’s give them some sugar boys. Let’s give them some Welsh sugar.”

He went on: “We haven’t waited 64 years and come halfway around the world to be troubled by a neighbour from back home.”

The song was based on Yma o Hyd (Still Here) by Dafydd Iwan, which fans sing before matches.

The actor, who has played Tony Blair in three different films, was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009 but gave it back to avoid hypocrisy before giving a lecture on the “tortured history” Wales shares with the British state.

He has described the tradition of making the heir to the throne Prince of Wales “a sort of symbolic act of rebuke or punishment and humiliation.”

Sheen was similarly vocal when the King and Queen Consort visited Wales on September 16, which happened to be Owain Glyndŵr day - when Glyndŵr was proclaimed the last native Prince of Wales, instigating a 15-year uprising against Henry IV.

Sheen said the King’s choice of date was “insensitive to the point of insulting”.

Among the politicians who met the Prince at the Senedd was a delegation from Plaid Cymru, which said afterwards that it considered the Prince of Wales’s title “antiquated and out of touch with a modern, equal, and democratic Wales”.

It is perhaps just as well that the Prince will not be in Qatar when Wales plays England in the group stage on November 29.

Prince William, an ardent Aston Villa fan, has ruled out attending the tournament due to a “busy winter schedule” but aides have hinted that might change if England reaches the final on December 18.