Prince William hits back at Michael Sheen in World Cup row

Welsh firebrand Michael Sheen has launched a war of words with Prince William after the outspoken anti-Brexit actor blasted the senior royal for handing out shirts to England’s World Cup squad despite holding the title of Prince of Wales – just two years after he said William should never be given his father’s old title.

Sheen, who slammed King Charles for visiting Wales on Owain Glyndŵr day during the mourning for the Queen in September, described William’s visit to the team’s training centre on Monday – where he gave them shirts for the FIFA tournament in Qatar – as ‘entirely inappropriate’.

In a video shared online by the English FA, the Prince of Wales proclaimed to the World Cup squad: ‘We’re all rooting for you’.

But taking to Twitter, Sheen, whose acclaimed roles have included Tony Blair, football boss Brian Clough and broadcaster David Frost, thundered: ‘He can, of course, support whoever he likes and as President of the FA his role makes visit understandable. But surely he sees holding the title Prince of Wales at the same time is entirely inappropriate? Not a shred of embarrassment? Or sensitivity to the problem here?’.

William then hit back at Sheen, telling reporters on a visit to Cardiff that he would be supporting both England and Wales.

He said: ‘I support both. I support England more in the football, but Wales in the rugby. When I was growing up Wales didn’t get through to the tournaments but I will be supporting them all the way through the process. Getting to the World Cup is a big deal and I’ll be supporting Wales through the process.’ 

In September, Sheen branded the King and Queen Consort’s visit to Cardiff on a Welsh national holiday ‘insensitive’ and ‘insulting’. He said there ‘is more than one story in these isles. There is more than one tradition, there is more than one history’.

And two years earlier, Sheen revealed he handed back his OBE after receiving it from the late Queen in protest over plans to make William the Prince of Wales. The actor, who received the honour from Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2009, said he made the controversial move to avoid looking a hypocrite before giving a lecture on the history of his native Wales – including ‘past wrongs’ committed by England ‘to fracture us, to control us, to subdue us’.

Just two months ago, Sheen took social media by storm with a fire-breathing talk to the Welsh team before the World Cup.

The Welsh actor appeared on the Sky Sports comedy panel show A League Of Their Own when he was asked to give a pre-match speech to the Wales national football team.

Host Romesh Ranganathan: ‘Can I ask you, could you give us a little burst of the sort of rousing speech that you might give the Welsh lads before the game?’

Sheen replied: ‘Oh my God! That’s a big responsibility.’

He then erupted into ‘Yma O Hyd’ which means ‘we’re still here’ and is the title of a patriotic song in the Welsh language first released by Dafydd Iwan and Ar Log in 1983 and has become an anthem for Welsh football fans.

Sheen continued: ‘Yma O Hyd. Yma O Hyd. I hear the voices singing. Speed your journey bois bach. One nation singing with one voice. A song of hope. A song of courage. A victory song that floats through the valleys like a red mist. Rolls over the mountain tops like crimson thunder. 

‘A red storm is coming to the gates of Qatar. It crackles with the spirit of ’58 and Jimmy Murphy’s boys. 

‘It turns the pages of the history books and it finds Rob’s page, waiting still to be written.’ What would you write in there boys. Dare you write your names on that page! We haven’t waited 64 years and come half way around the world to be troubled by a neighbour from back home,’ he added.

‘When the English come knocking on our door let’s give them some sugar boys. Let’s give them some Welsh sugar. They’ve always said we’re too small. We’re too slow. We’re too weak. Too full of fear. But Yma O Hyd! You sons of speed as they fall around us. We’re still here. Come on Wales!’ 

William sought to make clear that while a passionate England supporter, he was also delighted and proud that Wales will be playing on the biggest football stage and is likely to use social media to acknowledge their successes.

But speaking during the presentation held on Monday night at St George’s Park, the prince said: ‘I’m really just here, to just point out that the rest of the country is behind you – we’re all rooting for you, enjoy it.’

During the ceremony William received an England shirt in return signed by all the players, many of whom he has met before during previous visits to their Staffordshire training ground.

The prince also told the players: ‘What you and (manager) Gareth (Southgate) have built here is something special, that’s clear to see.. Play for each other, support each other, enjoy it, and I’m sure you’ll go far.’

It’s not the first time Sheen has been critical of the Royal Family’s handling of the Prince of Wales title.

In September he questioned what the title of Prince of Wales means to the Royal Family, after the King decided to visit Wales on Owain Glyndŵr Day.

The actor asked whether they realised the King’s visit clashed with the day, which would have been ‘insensitive to the point of insult’.

But if the visit was arranged without realising the history of the day in which Owain Glyndŵr was made Prince of Wales in 1404 ‘then one does wonder what being Prince of Wales was so long actually meant if you were not aware of what that day means,’ he said.

It comes as the Prince of Wales arrives in Cardiff to meet with representatives of the Welsh Parliament.

William will undertake a brief tour of the building and debating chamber led by the Llywydd, Elin Jones. He will then meet politicians from the four parties represented in the Senedd – Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Kensington Palace said the visit was ‘in order to deepen his understanding of the issues and opportunities of greatest importance to the Welsh people’.

William is expected to reiterate to Welsh politicians that there are no plans for any formal investiture ceremony. His father, the King, was officially invested with the title Prince of Wales by the Queen during an event staged at Caernarfon Castle in July 1969.

William will conclude his visit by meeting with the Welsh Youth Parliament, where he will hear about issues affecting the younger generation.

Charles announced that William and wife Kate would become Prince and Princess of Wales on September 9, the day after the death of the Queen. 

A few days later, William spoke on the telephone to Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, in a conversation in which the prince spoke of his ‘deep affection for Wales’. 

The prince, who served as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot when living on Anglesey with wife Kate, ‘expressed his and the Princess of Wales’s honour in being asked by the King to serve the Welsh people’ during that call.

William and Kate travelled to Anglesey and Swansea on September 27 – when royal mourning ended – to meet people and communities in Wales.

Both are understood to be keen to pave their own path in the roles, building trust and respect of the people of Wales over time.