Prince George shakes fingers with FA Cup winner Kobbie Mainoo

Prince George beamed today as he shook hands with some of the biggest names in football, while presenting the FA Cup to winners Manchester United, who celebrated a 2-1 win over Manchester City this afternoon.

The royal, who was joined by his father Prince William at the final of the world’s oldest club tournament, brushed shoulders with the likes of matchwinner Kobbie Mainoo and England star Jack Grealish after a dramatic game at Wembley Stadium.

The royal football fans looked smart in matching navy suits, white shirts and striped ties as they watched the action unfold between the two rivals on a warm Saturday in the capital.

George then smiled as he shook hands with members of the Manchester City team while the Prince of Wales awarded runners-up medals to players from the losing side.

The young royal even got to say a couple of words to legendary manager Pep Guardiola, who was unable to pull off a second consecutive FA Cup win just days after taking City to an unprecedented fourth straight league title.

And with this summer’s European Championships round the corner, the 10-year-old looked delighted while shaking hands with dynamic Manchester City winger Jack Grealish – one of England’s great hopes ahead of the tournament.

It was then a jubilant Manchester United’s turn to collect their winners medals from William, who is the Football Association’s president, and George was on hand to congratulate the victors as they walked past.

The royal paid particular attention to man of the match Kobbie Mainoo, who scored United’s second goal of the final and put in a dominant display in midfield.

The 19-year-old has had a breakout season at Old Trafford with some suggesting he may be a late contender to start for Gareth Southgate‘s side when they head to Germany next month. 

George’s action-packed afternoon was rounded off when he shook hands with triumphant manager Erik Ten Hag, who guided United to a 13th FA Cup win despite rumours linking him with an exit from the club. 

The players then proudly held up the trophy in front of the royals and cheered along with the roaring crowd as they took turns raising it into the air.

The father and son enjoyed the match alongside tens of thousands of fans from the Royal Box, and George looked animated as he experienced the highs and lows of the cup final.

Chatting in the front row of the box, the father-and-son duo laughed together as the game started. George shared a sweet moment with his father as he smoothed back his styled hair and William whispered in his ear. 

Before kick-off, the Prince of Wales walked onto the pitch to cheers from the crowd where the two teams were lined up.

Phil Foden looked delighted as he shook hands with William as they waited anxiously for the game to begin.

While Manchester City attacking midfielder gripped his hand and exchanged a few words he grinned hear to ear – with Erling Haaland smirking happily in the background as he saw his friend’s excitement.

But Foden’s delight was to be short lived – as United won 2-1 thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo despite a late strike from Jeremy Doku.

Prince George could be seen on his feet and cheering in the stands as he celebrated the scores among elated fans. 

Sitting alongside them in the box, Manchester United bosses Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Avram Glazer could be seen cheering wildly alongside legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 41-year-old’s attendance at the showpiece game in North West London in front of 90,000 fans was confirmed by palace officials at 9.30am this morning.

It comes after the Royal Family revealed on Wednesday that it had postponed engagements ‘which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign’ after Rishi Sunak called a surprise summer General Election for July 4. 

William’s previous FA Cup appearances have not all been so smooth – in 2022 he was booed by thousands of fans ahead of the match between Liverpool and Chelsea.

Fans gesticulated and made obscene hand gestures while the solemn Prince stood singing God Save the Queen. 

The outburst by thousands of fans shocked the nation and was denounced across the political spectrum – with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle saying: ‘I utterly condemn any fans who booed Prince William at Wembley today.

The jeers started during a rendition of the Christian hymn Abide With Me by the 60-strong B Positive Choir, whose members have sickle cell disease or who have close friends or family suffering from it.

It erupted again as Prince William was introduced to the crowd and began shaking the hands of the players. The booing and jeers reached their peak during the National Anthem.

Connor O’Neill, football writer for the Liverpool Echo, said Liverpool fans ‘are well known’ for booing God Save The Queen at Wembley and claimed that the reasons date from the city’s antipathy towards Margaret Thatcher’s Tory government in the 1980s.

Former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole described the booing as ‘disgraceful and deplorable’ and called for the Football Association to take action.

He also criticised BBC football commentators for failing to even mention the Liverpool fans’ ‘repulsive behaviour’.

Last year – when the competition again came down to Man Utd and Man City – William shared a warm smile and a brief chat with Marcus Rashford before attention tuned to the pitch. He awarded the footballer with an MBE in 2021 in recognition of his campaign for free school meals.

The Prince’s beloved Villa exited the FA Cup three months ago on February 7 after a 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea in a fourth round replay. 

But last week William hailed Villa for qualifying to play Champions League football next season, praising their ‘historic season’ and ‘amazing achievement’.

Posting on his Kensington Royal X account, William wrote: ‘We are Champions League! A historic season and an amazing achievement. Thanks to Unai, the whole squad and everyone at @AVFCOfficial. Can’t wait for next season. #UTV! W.’

UTV stands for ‘Up The Villa’, while the ‘W’ is for ‘William’ and denotes that it was a personal message written by the Prince, who shares the account with Kate.

The Prince is a lifelong fan of Villa and has watched several matches this season, sometimes also taking along George.

On May 2, William was spotted cheering on Villa against Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg. 

He was also seen talking to friends in a private seating area before the game before reacting and gesturing throughout the first half of the match.

One picture showed him enthusiastically celebrating a Villa goal which was later disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

The previous month on April 11, William and George attended Villa’s 2-1 win against Lille in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final.

This was their first public outing since Kate’s cancer announcement in March.

William has supported Villa since he was at school, and in 2006 became president of the FA. He also regularly attends England matches and FA Cup finals.

Speaking about his love of Villa to the BBC’s Gary Lineker in May 2015, William said: ‘A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs.

‘All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams. 

‘I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa’s always had a great history.’

The Prince said he has friends who support Villa and one of his first FA Cup games was against Bolton Wanderers in 2000, which Villa won but went on to lose to Chelsea in the final.

He added: ‘It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time.

‘It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.’

Speaking in February 2020, William also said: ‘People like Paul Merson were playing and I thought if people like him can play as well as he does, knowing the struggles he was under at the time… this is a club I can support.

‘I was also born in ’82, the year we won the (European) Cup, so I feel the history and pedigree around Villa has always been quite close to me.’

In addition, the Prince often tweets about football and last month also posted a message congratulating the Lionesses’ Rachel Daly on her retirement.

Even before the match kicked off this afternoon the FA Cup final was wracked with controversy – as Erik ten Hag hit out at Manchester United fans for having ‘no sense of reality’ amid their 11-year title drought in an incendiary interview.

The embattled manager is believed to be heading for the exit at Old Trafford regardless of whether his side triumphs at Wembley on Saturday against their crosstown rivals after two season in charge at the Manchester club.

Ten Hag has been defiant in his stance that he remains in the plans of Man United’s new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team since the petrochemicals billionaire took over the running of football operations in February.

But under the Dutchman, the club has faltered to its worst-ever Premier League finish in eighth, and European football next term is dependent on today’s result. 

Speaking to Dutch outlet VI, Ten Hag stressed that the club’s aspirations were too high for the reality of its current straits.

‘Manchester United won the league for the last time in 2013, 11 years ago,’ Ten Hag told journalist Freek Jansen. ‘But still they expect us to win every game while competing at the top.

‘This club is not ready for that.

‘We were supposed to start building something and we made the first steps last year, but then you find out how big this club is and that nobody is ever satisfied.

‘Within the club people were satisfied, but outside the club there was noise by saying I won only the Carabao Cup, lost the FA Cup Final and came third.’

And as fans make their way to Wembley to watch Manchester City take on Manchester United, with just hours before kick off many found themselves stuck in huge queues as families flocked to enjoy the hot weather. 

One fan posted a picture on X of people standing outside their cars on the M1, writing the caption: ‘Little warning to those heading down to Wembley on the M1. Been stuck at Leicester for 30 minutes. Looks like a major incident.

‘Nothing coming northbound, either. Huge queues. City and United fans out of their cars trying to figure out what’s going on.’