Comedian and national treasure Stephen Fry delivered a perfectly-timed, cheeky joke aimed directly at Prince William during the star-studded Royal Variety Performance on Saturday evening, sending the future King into fits of laughter.
The Joke That Landed Perfectly
Fry was performing a skit in the character of Lady Bracknell from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The segment focused on theatre etiquette, covering topics like switching off mobile phones and avoiding noisy snacks. The discussion then turned to appropriate attire for the theatre.
While musing on "public decorum", Fry, as Lady Bracknell, quipped about people wearing "dinner jackets, which is the correct attire for events, dinners, and popping along to watch Aston Villa ... lose". The camera immediately cut to Prince William in the royal box, who was seen laughing heartily at the playful dig at his football club.
Prince William's Lifelong Villa Passion
The joke resonated because Prince William is famously a dedicated supporter of Aston Villa, a loyalty he has held since his school days. He has openly discussed his choice to support the Birmingham-based club on several occasions.
In a recent interview on The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy, William confirmed his fandom. "I'm a football fan, yes Eugene," he stated, before revealing his team. "I support Aston Villa, you heard of them? Tom Hanks is a big fan." He went on to share Hanks's amusing reason for supporting the club, noting the actor thought the name sounded like a "sunshine nice villa place to go". William then dryly added, "When actually, if he turns up to Birmingham, it's not that sunshiney."
William has explained that he deliberately chose a club that promised an "emotional rollercoaster" rather than following his peers who supported more consistently successful teams like Manchester United or Chelsea. He wanted a connection that felt genuine, rooted in the club's history and fan culture.
Creating Family Football Memories
The Prince of Wales's passion is one he is now passing to the next generation. Earlier this year, he created a special memory by taking his eldest son, Prince George, to watch Aston Villa play Paris Saint-Germain in a European competition.
Explaining the significance, William said, "It's been 43 years since anything like this has happened in my generation as a Villa fan, and I want George to experience a night out away from home in a big European competition." He emphasised the importance of creating these shared experiences, hoping it wouldn't be another four decades before the next such opportunity arose.
The Royal Variety Performance, held on 21 December 2025, was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales in support of the Royal Variety Charity, which aids entertainers throughout the UK.
