William visited the locker room before the match and later joined players for drinks after the win. Captain John McGinn noted the prince’s obvious passion for the club, and defender Matty Cash said William enjoyed a beer with the squad as they celebrated.
The friendships include deep family links: van Cutsem’s family have long ties to the princes, and van Straubenzee is godfather to Princess Charlotte. The van Straubenzee family also endured loss when Thomas’s younger brother Henry died in a 2002 car crash; the family later set up a memorial fund.