Prince William has condemned the racist England soccer fans who abused the country's Black players after they lost the final of Euro 2020 Sunday night.
After England collapsed against Italy, some fans used social media to attack Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, three Black players who missed penalties in the shootout that ended the game.
The online comments were also criticized by England's Football Association (FA) and by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Prince William wrote on Twitter: "I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night's match.
"It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour.
"It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W"
Prince William and wife Kate Middleton were in the stands for the game along with their son Prince George, who was seen celebrating England's goal and then looking bereft at their eventual defeat.
The Duke of Cambridge was forced to deny the royals are themselves racist after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah Winfrey interview in March.
During the CBS prime-time special, Meghan said an unnamed royal had expressed concern about how dark her unborn baby's skin might be.
Asked about it by a journalist, Prince William said in March: "We are very much not a racist family."
England was hoping for a first win in a major international tournament since 1966 when it took on Italy in the Euro 2020 final Sunday night.
I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match.
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 12, 2021
It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour.
It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W
And victory seemed like it might be on the cards after they scored in the second minute to go 1-0 up.
But Italy equalized and the game went to penalties, which England lost with missed penalties by Sancho, Rashford and Saka.
While Monday morning's front pages appeared supportive of the players, some fans took part in racial abuse in the aftermath.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also at Wembley Stadium Sunday night, tweeted: "This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media.
"Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves."
England manager Gareth Southgate told a press conference: "It's just not what we stand for. We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody—and so that togetherness has to continue.
"We have shown the power our country has when it does come together and has that energy and positivity together.
"Everybody has to remember when they support they team that they also represent England and should represent what we stand for.
"We have had a positive effect on lots of areas of society, but we can't affect everything – other people have responsibilities in those areas. We have to work collectively to constantly improve those things."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles III, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—and hosts The Royal Report podcast. Jack joined Newsweek in 2020; he previously worked at The Sun, INS News and the Harrow Times. Jack has also appeared as a royal expert on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ITV and others. He graduated from the University of East Anglia. Languages: English.
You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
You can get in touch with Jack by emailing j.royston@newsweek.com.
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