Why Prince William was spotted singing Neil Diamond hit with 43,000-strong British crowd overnight

Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Prince William’s viral moment singing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” with a packed stadium was not random, it was the result of one of Aston Villa’s biggest nights in decades.

The Prince of Wales, a well-known Villa supporter, was in the stands at Villa Park as Unai Emery’s side delivered a statement performance in the Europa League semi-final.

What followed after the final whistle quickly made its way across social media, showing William celebrating just like any other fan.

But the context behind that moment explains why the celebration felt so intense. Because this was not just another win.

Photo by Dan Mullan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

Why Prince William was singing with 43,000 Aston Villa fans

As seen via Instagram, Prince William joined thousands of fans in singing “Sweet Caroline” after Aston Villa’s dominant victory.

The celebration came after Villa thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the second leg, overturning a first-leg deficit to seal a 4-1 aggregate win and book a place in the Europa League final.

It marked the club’s first major European final in 44 years, which explains the emotional reaction inside a stadium packed with more than 43,000 supporters.