Getting to Know Prince William: Hobbies, Sport and Everyday Life
A devoted Aston Villa fan, BAFTA president, and owner of a much-loved cocker spaniel: the everyday interests behind the future King.
Strip away the titles and the state occasions, and Prince William’s actual interests look reassuringly ordinary: football, film, and a dog who has become something of a minor royal celebrity in her own right.
A genuinely devoted Aston Villa supporter
William’s support for Aston Villa is long-standing and well documented, dating back to childhood, and he has been seen attending Champions League fixtures and other major matches over the years with visible, unforced enthusiasm rather than the polite, dutiful interest royals sometimes show toward sport. His son Prince George has been photographed at matches alongside him, suggesting the loyalty is being passed down rather than treated as a private indulgence.
President of the FA, and of BAFTA
Beyond personal fandom, William holds formal roles within two of Britain’s major cultural and sporting institutions. He has served as President of the Football Association, the governing body of English football, reflecting an interest that goes well beyond supporting one club. He has also been President of BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, since 2010, a role that puts him at the centre of British film and television’s most prominent annual honours, including hosting duties and industry engagement well outside the more traditional royal patronage mould.
Orla, the family’s cocker spaniel
The family’s dog, Orla, an English Cocker Spaniel, joined the household in 2020, a gift from Catherine’s brother James Middleton following the death of the family’s previous dog, Lupo. Orla has become a regular, much-loved presence at family outings, including polo matches, and made headlines of her own in 2025 when she had a litter of puppies, a rare moment of unguarded, ordinary family news amid William’s more formal public duties.
A quietly consistent presence at British cultural events
Beyond BAFTA specifically, William has made a habit of attending events tied to British film, music and culture more broadly, treating cultural patronage as a genuine interest rather than an obligation, part of a wider pattern of engagement that favours institutions doing visible, tangible work over purely ceremonial appearances.
Low-key by royal standards
Compared to some more visibly glamorous branches of the family, William has cultivated a reputation for favouring understated, low-key personal interests, football, dogs, family time in Norfolk and Windsor, over the kind of high-profile social calendar some royal-watchers might expect from a future King. It is a deliberate contrast, by most accounts, with a public role that already involves more than enough formality and spectacle.
Why the ordinary details matter
For an institution often associated with distance and ceremony, William’s actual day-to-day interests, a football club, a dog, a genuine enthusiasm for British film and television, do real work in making the modern monarchy feel more approachable. It is part of a broader, deliberate shift toward a more relatable public presence that both William and Catherine have pursued consistently since becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Browse more of our British Living stories for more of the everyday details behind royal public life.
Frequently asked questions
Which football team does Prince William support?
Aston Villa, a long-standing personal loyalty dating back to his childhood, which he has passed on to his son Prince George.
Is Prince William president of the Football Association?
Yes, reflecting an interest in football that extends beyond supporting a single club.
What is Prince William’s role at BAFTA?
He has served as President of BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, since 2010.
What dog do Prince William and Catherine have?
Orla, an English Cocker Spaniel who joined the family in 2020 as a gift from Catherine’s brother James Middleton.
Did the family’s dog Orla have puppies?
Yes, Orla had a litter of puppies in 2025.
Does Prince William attend cultural events beyond BAFTA?
Yes. He has made a consistent habit of engaging with British film, music and cultural institutions more broadly as part of his public patronage work.
Personal-interest details are drawn from standard royal-affairs reporting and royal.uk’s published patronage listings; correct as of 2026.
