Queen Letizia of Spain and her younger daughter, Princess Sofia, traveled to Sydney, Australia, for the World Cup finals on Sunday — and then took part in the celebrations on the field after Spain defeated England 1-0.
Ahead of the game, Queen Letizia said about watching the finals, "It is a joy, and it is exciting to be here today in Sydney to support and accompany the players and the entire coaching staff in a final that is making all of Spain vibrate."
Not attending the match, no member of the British royal family.
William, Prince of Wales, the monarch in waiting, is also president of England's Football Association.
Rightly so, he has been criticized for being absent from yesterday's World Cup final despite the Lionesses of England playing.
It is bizarre he did not make the trip.
The Lionesses are the defending champions of Europe and came into the tournament ranked as the fourth-best team in the world.
The Lionesses going deep into the tournament and competing in the finals was well-expected globally, and plans for William to make the trip should have been planned months in advance.
Critics said it was unimaginable that he would skip the final if it were the men's team playing.
Some media reports in the United Kingdom said William was "concerned about his carbon footprint" over the 19-hour flight from London to Sydney.
Plus, a trip could also have been full of diplomatic complications as King Charles, Australia's monarch, has yet to make a state visit down under, and William's journey could lead to political and security problems.
Such greenwashing and rigidity combined to make this an England soft power own goal.
Meanwhile, Spain's royal family was front and center, celebrating the Spanish team's achievement.
No greenwashing and rigidity from the royals based in Madrid.
During the trophy presentation, Queen Letizia ended up holding a jersey they gifted her in front of many of the players and coaching staff.
The Spanish players began to chant "que bote la Reina," which translates roughly to "Bounce/Jump Queen!" and the Spanish Queen complied happily and began to jump up and down with the athletes.
She wore a red pantsuit the same color as their jerseys, and Queen Letizia fit in with the team.
King Charles, for his part, offered "heartfelt thoughts and commiserations" following the Lionesses' loss.
Even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could not be bothered to attend the match.
Representing England was Lucy Frazer.
She is the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport of the United Kingdom.
I am sure MP Frazer is a fine person.
But she lacks a royal's razzmatazz and a prime minister's pizazz.
Global sporting competitions offer nations and their leaders unmatched soft power and diplomatic branding opportunities.
Not only did England lose the match, but it missed a glorious soft power opportunity.
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