Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2022 November 21

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November 21

Which national sport teams and athletes do the British royals root for?

The British royal family is not only the royal family of the United Kingdom but also the royal family of 14 other Commonwealth realms. Each of these realms has its own national sports teams and athletes that have developed intense rivalries with one another. Then there is also the fact that each of the constituent countries/Home Nations of the UK has its own national football team.

How have the members of the British royal family balanced their multinational position with sports competition between their subjects from different realms? Has any of them ever rooted for the Wallabies? StellarHalo (talk) 21:48, 21 November 2022 (UTC)

In my (50+ years') experience of noticing such things (so ObPersonal), they are all expected to, and usually do, maintain a strictly neutral demeanor if two Commonwealth teams are playing, and a decorously restrained enthusiasm for a Commonwealth team playing a non-Commonwealth one, unless they are actually in the latter's country, in which case politeness returns them to neutrality. They would never behave so overtly enthusiastically as to be seen "rooting" for anyone.

However, I think HRH Princess Anne (now The Princess Royal) was permitted to display a degree of enthusiasm for the British teams in the Badminton Horse trials and the Olympic Games when she was actually a member of them. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.217.47.60 (talk) 02:53, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

The Queen sent a message of support to the England team in the Euro Football final last year. Here. This mature aged Australian has never seen her support an Australian team in that way. HiLo48 (talk) 09:28, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

Perhaps the new bloke will do better... Alansplodge (talk) 11:34, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

. --Jayron32 12:13, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

Another thought is that Australians have a Governor-General to cheer for them, whlie Britons lack that intermediate layer. I expect there's a protocol, but who knows? Alansplodge (talk) 13:20, 24 November 2022 (UTC)

Elizabeth enthusiastically supported her own racing horses. --Error (talk) 17:53, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

The British Royal Family root only for themselves. MinorProphet (talk) 16:07, 23 November 2022 (UTC)

Not so, but it can be problematic; see The problem for Prince William being Prince of Wales and president of the FA. Alansplodge (talk) 13:25, 24 November 2022 (UTC)