It will be a royal affair at the final of the Women’s World Cup in Sydney on Sunday. Queen Letizia of Spain has announced she will jet out to Australia to cheer on the national team as they tackle England’s Lionesses in the hotly anticipated match.
Accompanying Queen Letizia on the whirlwind trip Down Under will be her youngest daughter, Infanta Sofia, 16, who will no doubt relish the opportunity to watch the exciting game live. King Felipe VI (who was spotted in the royal box for the Wimbledon men’s final earlier this summer) will miss out due to conflicting duties. Their eldest daughter Princess Leonor, the future queen of Spain, started her three years of military training earlier this week.
Notably absent, however, will be Prince William, who has come under fire for missing the match despite being President of the Football Association and an avid supporter of both the men’s and women’s teams. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also missing the final but will be represented by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
The Prince of Wales has been an outspoken supporter of the Lionesses throughout their campaign, albeit from afar. He has shared a number of personal messages of congratulations as England achieved extraordinary results, culminating in the semifinal win over Australia. He wrote: “What a phenomenal performance from the Lionesses—on to the final! Commiserations to @TheMatildas, you’ve played brilliantly and been fantastic co-hosts of this World Cup.”
