While England has recently qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup, the royal family hasn’t flown to Russia to support their football team. It’s shocking, especially knowing that William and Harry are big fans.
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William and Harry have chosen to not go to support their team in the stands, and their reasoning is political. When asked by the express.co.uk website, an expert on the Royal Family, Richard Fitzwilliams, said that they won’t attend any England match. Even if it’s the final, he believes they won’t go in order to protest against Vladimir Putin’s political affairs.
'Relations between Britain and Russia have recently been at their worst since the Cold War […] So regardless of the progress of the England team in the World Cup I would not expect any Royal attendance' said Richard Fitzwilliams, therefore confirming what MP Tom Tugendhat had recently stated. The member of parliament said that the presence of one of the Royal Family members at the World Cup would be interpreted as a gesture in favour of the Russian president’s politics.