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In a matter of hours, England’s women’s national football team—known affectionately as “The Lionesses”—will compete against Spain in the first World Cup Final that England has seen in nearly six decades.
For those unaware, football (known to us Americans as “soccer”) is massively popular in England. In fact, it’s where “association football” (as it’s formally termed to differentiate from variants) was born and popularized. In fact, even “massively popular” feels like a bit of an understatement.
Football is one of those things that is central to British identity, right up there with the Royal Family, the Beatles, subtle and self-deprecating comedy, colonialism, and unseasoned food.
Unfortunately, since its victory against Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final, the English men’s team has failed to recapture that glory. In the intervening six decades, the closest they’ve come were two semi-final flameouts. Something akin to a national crisis occurred when they failed to even qualify for the 1994 Men’s World Cup.
So, I want y’all to humor a hypothetical. Imagine if England’s men’s national football team had made it to the World Cup Final last year in Qatar. As Americans, the best comparison we have is probably the 1980 Winter Olympics, in which a young U.S. team upset the U.S.S.R. juggernaut on the way to the gold medal.
I don't mean in terms of direct sport comparison but national fervor. Our U.S. Women's National Team has been enormously successful and deserves all the plaudits, but here, too, sexism is rampant. Our country didn't screech to a halt for the last World Cup Final we were in.
So, take that comparison on steroids, and you’d have the likely response of England to its men’s team being on the verge of greatness. The country would practically shut down for the event. British media would be in a frenzy of orgasmic patriotism. Maybe the Spice Girls would even finally announce a new world tour.
And this is what’s key: there is no doubt—not a single doubt—that King Charles III, Prince William, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would be attending the Men’s World Cup Final in person. It is silly and childish to pretend otherwise. There is absolutely no way these three men miss that event.
And yet, as of this writing—and it doesn’t look as though things will change—neither King Charles nor Prince William nor Queen Camilla nor Princess Catherine nor any of the other British Royals nor Prime Minister Sunak will be attending the World Cup Final to cheer on The Lionesses.
Literally all of the top British leadership are missing this historic event. But why? Is there a national crisis? Have they fallen ill?
No. They’re mostly “on vacation” and can’t be bothered to attend. I’m not kidding.
William & Kate and their young children are currently on holiday, though it’s not especially clear why William can’t get his happy ass on a plane ride to Sydney for a brief visit to celebrate this moment.
Charles & Camilla didn’t even bother to offer a reason, explaining through a press statement that they would be cheering on The Lionesses in front of a television at Buckingham Palace.
PM Sunak has also failed to offer a reason, though it’s almost understandable—almost but not quite—that a sitting prime minister may, in theory, have other factors to consider.
Here’s the kicker: Prince William has been the president of the Football Association—England’s governing body for football—since 2006. He is the literal figurehead for English football, and though it may be mostly symbolic, that symbolism comes with a responsibility.
As criticism of the Royals has ramped up, the Prince’s press flacks have frantically and weakly attempted to float the absurd reasoning that William is missing the World Cup Final to reduce his carbon footprint.
Yes, you read that right. Prince William is hiding behind climate change to avoid cheering on The Lionesses.
Spain, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate. Queen Letizia and her daughter Princess Sofia hopped on a plane and will be cheering on their women’s team from a suite at Stadium Australia, along with 75,000 other spectators.
It’s quite embarrassing for the British Royals, and they should absolutely feel ashamed for the message this sends, not just to The Lionesses and their supporters but every woman and girl in the United Kingdom, who are being told, unequivocally, that women’s sports are just not that important.
William’s advisors, sensing the growing public resentment could prove problematic, scrambled to have him film a 14 second video for the The Lionesses with Princess Charlotte, his 8 year-old daughter, sitting beside him. He said the following:
“Lionesses, I want to send you a huge good luck for tomorrow, we're sorry we can't be there in person but we're so proud of everything you've achieved and the millions you've inspired here and around the world. So go out there tomorrow and really enjoy yourselves.”
I do communications for a living, and sometimes, I have to explain to clients that the most important thing, bare minimum, is that your audience feels heard and you’re making an effort. If nothing else, acknowledge the needs of your audience and that you care about those needs.
Did anyone watch this video and really believe that William gives two shits about The Lionesses? I don’t. I think an exasperated advisor convinced him to sit down for a quick iPhone video and this is what we got. It’s deeply underwhelming.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crisis comms response that is simultaneously aloof, cloying, weakly pandering, and vaguely annoyed. It’s not only less than the bare minimum but so poorly attempted that it comes across as insulting. It feels as though William’s teeth had to be pulled to make it.
If you’re gonna hinge your response on a video, why not make an effort? Talk about the importance of women’s sports and what this World Cup Final must mean to girls across England. Talk about the growth of women’s sports and why it makes England stronger.
Get the entire family—William, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis—in the video, and have Kate talk about why their boys will be watching, too — why boys and young men have a responsibility to cheer on the girls and young women in their lives.
I have to admit that even as an American, I feel angry over this. I feel angry for The Lionesses and women athletes in England generally and girls and women who know that if they bring up the clear disparity in support compared to male athletes, they’ll be shouted down as “shrill feminists.”
Enjoy your vacation, William. I know your job is so hard, after all.
Hi, I’m Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte’s Web Thoughts, my Substack. It’s completely free to access and read, but it’s also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250.
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