England’s women’s national team has reached its first World Cup final, which is also the first World Cup final any England side has been in since 1966.
But none of the country’s top leaders will be making the journey to Sydney to watch the Lionesses face Spain on Sunday.
Rishi Sunak, the country’s prime minister, will not be in attendance at Stadium Australia, nor will King Charles, Queen Camilla or Prince William, who also serves as president of the Football Association (FA).
Sunak would “love to be there” but is missing out due to the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as “some of the other things that are happening with the wider economy,” health minister Neil O’Brien said in quotes on the BBC.
There was no word on the king and queen’s absence but the BBC said that Prince William “made the decision to avoid making long-distance flights for a very short stay in Australia. He is believed to be concerned about the climate impact of making the journey.”
Prince William’s decision has drawn some criticism back home.
“I think the Prince of Wales should be there,” Gerry Sutcliffe, the UK’s former minister for sport, told the Daily Telegraph. “I know it’s a long way, and I’m sure he has family commitments, but this is a unique moment. It’s the World Cup final, and he’s the president of the FA.”
Daily Mail writer AN Wilson joined in with a column titled: “I have no doubt if England’s men had reached the World Cup final, Prince William would be there.”
In the royal family and prime minister’s places will be UK foreign secretary James Cleverly and Lucy Frazer, the UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport.
For Spain, Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter Infanta Sofía will be in attendance at the match, but King Felipe will not be making the journey.
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