has hit back at Michael Sheen in an ongoing row after the outspoken anti-Brexit Welsh actor blasted the despite holding the title of Prince of Wales.
Sheen, who during the mourning for the Queen in September, described William’s visit to the team’s training centre on Monday – where he gave them shirts for the FIFA tournament in Qatar – as ‘entirely inappropriate’.
In a video shared online by the English FA, the Prince of Wales proclaimed to the World Cup squad: ‘We’re all rooting for you.’
But taking to Twitter, Sheen, whose acclaimed roles have included Tony Blair, football boss Brian Clough and broadcaster David Frost, thundered: ‘He can, of course, support whoever he likes and as President of the FA his role makes [the] visit understandable.
But surely he sees holding the title Prince of Wales at the same time is entirely inappropriate? Not a shred of embarrassment? Or sensitivity to the problem here?’
William then hit back at Sheen, telling reporters on a visit to Cardiff that he would be supporting both England and Wales.
He said: ‘I support both.
I support England more in the football, but Wales in the rugby. When I was growing up Wales didn’t get through to the tournaments but I will be supporting them all the way through the process.
‘Getting to the World Cup is a big deal and I’ll be supporting Wales through the process.’
Sheen’s comments have divided his fans and football fans alike, with some supporting his outspoken criticism of the monarchy.
But others have pointed out Prince William’s role as head of the English FA and said Sheen’s post was ‘desperate’.
Just weeks ago Sheen gave a spine-tingling talk to his national team, erupting into ‘Yma O Hyd’ which means ‘we’re still here’ – the title of a patriotic song and an anthem for Welsh football fans.
Sheen continued: ‘Yma O Hyd.
Yma O Hyd. I hear the voices singing. Speed your journey bois bach. One nation singing with one voice.’
Reaction to Sheen’s comments online has been mixed, with some supporting the actor’s stance while other fans question why Prince William visiting the English team was problematic, pointing out he is head of the FA.
In September, the actor branded the King and Queen Consort’s visit to Cardiff on a Welsh national holiday ‘insensitive’ and ‘insulting’. He said there ‘is more than one story in these isles.
There is more than one tradition, there is more than one history’.
And two years earlier, Sheen revealed he handed back his OBE after receiving it from the late Queen in protest over plans to make William the Prince of Wales.
The actor, who received the honour from Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2009, said he made the controversial move to avoid looking a hypocrite before giving a lecture on the history of his native Wales – including ‘past wrongs’ committed by England ‘to fracture us, to control us, to subdue us’.
The outspoken Welsh actor sbobet mobile described Prince William’s visit to the team’s training centre on Monday, where he presented them with their shirts for the World Cup in Qatar, as ‘entirely inappropriate’
Michael Sheen has blasted the Prince of Wales for handing out shirts to England’s World Cup squad
He later shared a video to his followers and highlighted the support for the team from the nation’s children
Welsh firebrand Michael Sheen has launched a war of words with Prince William
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