The Duke and Duchess of Westminster joined Prince William and Prince George to cheer on Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Paris St Germain this evening.
Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 34, and his wife Olivia Henson, 32, joined the royal and his eldest son, George, 11, in the VIP stands at Villa Park in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, is a close friend of the Prince of Wales, and is the godfather of George.
He and his wife – who married last June during a lavish ceremony attended by of Prince William – made their first public appearance yesterday after announcing that they are expecting a baby in the summer.
The Prince of Wales, 42, who is an avid Aston Villa supporter, stood just behind the Duke and Duchess, watching anxiously from the stands as the game got underway.
Hugh and Olivia showed their support, each wearing matching burgundy scarfs with Aston Villa emblazoned in white across the length of the neckwear.
Meanwhile, Prince William looked pensive as he clutched a drink in a hospitality box prior to kick-off, while George wore a half-and-half scarf featuring the emblems of the two sides.
Later in the match, William and George were caught by the TV cameras with concerned looks after Aston Villa failed to stop the French team from scoring, destroying their faint hopes of progressing to the semi-finals.
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster joined Prince William in the stands this evening, as they cheered in Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Paris St Germain (the Duke of Westminster picture right of Prince William)
The couple have been friends with the Walses for many years
Prince William had been invited to the quarter-final first leg by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The Prince of Wales had joined TNT Sports pundits Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist ahead of taking his seat.
He explained how the tie would help to create ‘special memories’ with Prince George.
In response to Ferdinand’s question as to whether it was a ‘lads’ trip’, Prince William insisted he was on his ‘best behaviour’ in the French capital.
‘I’m not sure how many Villa fans there will be but they will make themselves well known,’ Prince William said.
‘I have got my son here too so I am on best behaviour but 43 years since this has happened and I want George to experience a night out in a big competition, those memories are really important to create and bringing him away is important.
‘I am open to who they support, I am biased but they come to games with Villa so it will likely be Villa, but I have left the other two at home probably watching on TV. We will see who they support.’
Prince William has been a regular at Aston Villa’s matches this season, both domestically and in Europe.
The Prince of Wales, 42, who is an avid Aston Villa supporter, stood just behind the Duke and Duchess, watching anxiously from the stands as the game got underway
Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 34, and his wife Olivia, 32, joined the royal and his eldest son, Prince George, 11, in the VIP stands at Villa Park in Birmingham on Tuesday
Both William and George attended the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final in Paris last Wednesday, which the hosts won 3-1. The pair went through an emotional rollercoaster during the first half of the match at the Parc des Princes.
The Prince was joined tonight by his long-term friends, Hugh Grosvenor, and his wife.
Hugh and Olivia are preparing to welcome their first child in the summer, with a spokesman revealing that the couple are ‘delighted’ by the news.
A spokesman for the pair said: ‘The Duchess is expecting a baby in the summer. The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together.’
The Duke, one of the UK’s biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie.
William acted as an usher at Hugh’s wedding in Chester Cathedral last year but Harry mutually agreed with the groom he would not attend amid his long-running rift with his brother.
Hugh, once considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016.
His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s One shopping centre.
The Prince of Wales served as an usher at the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson last year (pictured)
The two announced their engagement in April 2023, after being together for two years.
The pair were seen yesterday for the first since since revealing the exciting news of the pregnancy.
The Duchess put on a smart display in navy wide-leg trousers, teamed with a long sleeved striped blue and white shirt.
With her locks kept down and a smattering of glamorous makeup decorating her glowing features, Olivia looked radiant as she joined her husband at the outing.
Hugh appeared equally sophisticated in a navy suit, teamed with a blue shirt and red tie when stepping out at the Queen’s Park campus in Handbridge.
The pair toured the award-winning Chester Business School, as well as the Wheeler building by the River Dee, exploring facilities in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society.
