King Charles III’s football allegiance has come under the spotlight after his recent visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. His Majesty’s visit was part of an official engagement celebrating the club’s socio-economic contributions to the local area.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a major force in regenerating one of London’s most deprived regions, generating nearly £200 million in economic impact.
During his visit, King Charles was greeted by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur and other dignitaries. He also met members of the men’s and women’s teams, including club captain Heung-Min Son, who escorted him onto the pitch alongside women’s captain Bethany England.
A video online showed the South Korean having a brief chat with the monarch about the club, which led to some fans wondering if King Charles was a Tottenham fan.
“Who are you playing this weekend then?” asked King Charles to which Son answered “United,” promptly. King Charles also asked about the team’s well being, “Is the team in good order at the moment?” which returned an honest answer from Son, “We are in a difficult moment but we’re working hard.”
But does this concern for Spurs mean the King supports Tottenham Hotspur?
Despite his warm welcome at Tottenham, King Charles’ football loyalties lie elsewhere. His Majesty is, in fact, a long-time supporter of Burnley F.C.—a revelation that first surfaced publicly in 2012.
King Charles’ connection to Burnley isn’t based on childhood fandom or family tradition. Instead, his support stems from his charitable work in Lancashire town.
“A consortium of my charities, including the British Asian Trust, has been working in Burnley,” the King said at British Asian Trust event.He reaffirmed his support later, “Hence, some of you asked this evening whether I support a British football club and I said ‘yes, Burnley’.
Speaking at the same event, he added, to his affiliation and love for Burnley: “Burnley has been through some very challenging times, and I’m trying to find ways of helping to regenerate and raise aspirations and self-esteem in that part of the world.”
When asked why he follows them, he said: “Burnley has been through some very challenging times, and I’m trying to find ways of helping to regenerate and raise aspirations and self-esteem in that part of the world.”
That was not the first hint of his support, though. Having spent time in Burnley through his charities’ work, he was presented with a Burnley home shirt in 2010, with ‘HRH’ and the No.1 on the back.
On the same occasion, he was seen wearing a Burnley pin badge on his lapel—a rare public display of football allegiance from a royal.
While he hasn’t been spotted at Turf Moor like Prince William has been seen cheering for Aston Villa, his admiration for the club remains evident.
Interestingly, the Royal family seems to have love for the claret and blue clubs. His son, Prince William, is a passionate Aston Villa supporter and has even been spotted in the stands at Villa Park while Queen Elizabeth was an avid supporter of West Ham.
