Prince William was all smiles today as he stepped out in Willenhall, West Midlands, just one day after his appearance at the Commonwealth Day service in London. The Prince of Wales appeared to be in high spirits as he greeted wellwishers while making his way to Sporting Khalsa FC to visit one of its referee training courses.
William, who is patron of the Football Association (FA), was dressed casually in dark trousers and a light shirt with a casual navy jacket on top. He began his visit by meeting representatives from the FA and Sporting Khalsa and speaking to them about the importance of opening up opportunities in football to young people from diverse backgrounds. He also spoke to trainers of the refereeing course and professional referee and Lieutenant in the British Army, Levi Gray, about her career journey.
The course started in July 2023 and aims to support those who are taking their first steps into officiating by combining theory and practical training.
Participants end up equipped with key skills and knowledge to delve into refereeing grassroots football matches safely and successfully.
William will shortly participate in a course lesson to learn about the key skills involved in refereeing. He will also engage with different stations on the pitch, teaching referee skills such as whistle tones and flag signals.
Before his departure, the Prince of Wales is expected to show off his refereeing skills on the pitch during a mini-football game alongside other programme participants.
Today’s visit was part of the FA’s Reflective and Representative campaign, which aims to recruit 1,000 people from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds into refereeing roles.
It comes less than a day after the royal, joined by his wife, the Princess of Wales, and the rest of the royals attended the Commonwealth Day service in London.
The Firm showed a united front as they celebrated the family of 56 nations in a poignant service at Westminster Abbey.
The previous year, King Charles and Princess Kate were unable to attend due to their cancer treatments.