Why Prince William’s Football Night Out With His Closest Friends Would Sting Harry
Prince William was seen having a blast at the Europa League Final with his friends, many of whom have publicly fallen out with Prince Harry.
It's been six years since Prince William and Prince Harry's bitter rift, with the brothers showing no signs of burying the hatchet. While the Prince of Wales remains busy with royal duties, he occasionally lets himself lose during informal outings. That being said, he was seen laughing, cheering, and whistling with his tight-knit buddies during the UEFA Europa League Final in Istanbul on May 20. Interestingly, his harmless gala time would have likely stirred some painful emotions for Harry, who has publicly drifted away from many of those friends.
As reported by the Daily Mail, William was joined by his 'band of brothers,' which included Ben 'Dawesey' Dawes, Thomas van Straubenzee, and Edward van Cutsem, one of the sons of banker Hugh and his wife Emilie van Cutsem. William van Cutsem, who is Edward's brother, and Straubenzee shared a close childhood bond with William and Harry, as their families remained deeply connected through charity work, society events, royal weddings, and godparent roles. However, after the Duke of Sussex relocated to California and aired his dirty laundry in his memoir, Spare, several of these friendships took a hit, with Straubenzee siding with William and his brother, Charlie, picking Harry's side.
For those unversed, Harry revealed in Spare that he drifted apart from the van Cutsem family after his and Meghan Markle's Oprah Winfrey interview. He penned, "Several close mates and beloved figures in my life, including one of Hugh and Emilie's sons, Emilie herself, and even Tiggy, had chastized me for Oprah. 'How could you reveal such things? About your family?'" Tensions reportedly began around 2020, when one of the van Cutsem brothers, Hugh van Cutsem's wife, Rose Astor, offended the Sussexes when she mocked their decision to step down as senior royals, saying, "I am standing back as a senior member of my tax return, because I'd rather drink coffee, see my friends, love my family and do yoga."
Meanwhile, while Straubenzee's brother, Charlie, remains close to Harry and is even one of Prince Archie's godfathers, the dynamics within the wider friendship circle seem more complicated. Both Charlie and his brother served as ushers at Harry and Markle's 2018 royal wedding, where Charlie even gave a touching speech. Straubenzee, however, is said to be in a more difficult position, caught in between the feuding royal brothers. Often described as one of William's best friends and regularly seen with him in public, he is likely facing divided loyalties amid their ongoing rift.
While the Duke may not have liked seeing his brother rub shoulders with his old friends, as though nothing had changed, their shared love for football probably hit close to home, too. Both Princes were regularly seen attending matches together, joking in the stands, and bonding over major tournaments. William is a passionate supporter of Aston Villa F.C, which explains his emotions when they won the game. Harry, meanwhile, has enjoyed the game socially.
