Celtic fans have been described as “cretinous imbeciles” for taunting the Prince of Wales with vile chants about the late Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family during a clash between the Scottish club and William’s team, Aston Villa.
As the future King cheered on his Birmingham-based football team at their home ground on Wednesday night, away supporters chanted ‘Lizzie’s in a box” and “If you hate the Royal Family, clap your hands”.
Celtic fans also displayed a large banner glorifying Michael Fagan, who broke into the late Queen’s bedroom while she was sleeping at Buckingham Palace in 1982 – just days after William was born.
Villa fans loudly belted out the national anthem during the Champions League game to drown out the republican chants, which saw William’s team claim a 4-2 victory.
The Celtic fans’ actions have caused outrage, with veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams telling the Express: “The warped weirdos who chanted vile comments about the late Queen in last night’s match in the presence of the Prince of Wales, and those who hung a banner praising Michael Fagan, who broke into the Queen’s bedroom in 1982, show pathetic ignorance.
“Their behaviour is in atrocious taste. Queen Elizabeth’s love of Scotland is famous; she chose to spend her last days there. It is good to record that Celtic were beaten by Aston Villa, but sad that some cretinous imbeciles behaved in so disrespectful and bizarre a manner.
“It is especially regrettable when the King is battling cancer and the Princess of Wales recovering from it.”
Others took to social media to condemn their actions.
Kelvin MacKenzie, the former editor of The Sun, wrote on X: “The thick morons who follow Celtic subjected Prince William ( a big Villa fan) to chants of ‘if you hate the Royal family clap your hands’ and ‘Lizzie’s in a box’ during their defeat at Aston Villa last night.
“Thousands taunting one man who can’t respond. Such nasty bullies.”
Another social media user, Paul Kirby, wrote: “I’m appalled by the disgraceful behaviour of some Celtic fans at Villa Park. Singing vile chants about the late Queen in front of Prince William is disrespectful and insensitive.
“We must remember our words have power and strive for respect in sports.”
Celtic fans were welcomed to Birmingham by home fans singing the national anthem on the streets outside the stadium and several royalist displays, such as flags of the monarch bearing the words “AV FC” and “God Save the King,” in anticipation of Republican displays.
Fans of the Scottish club have become synonymous with its contempt for the Royal Family, having previously celebrated the death of the late Queen with flags that read: “F*** the Crown”.
The club was fined over £13,000 for displaying the banner when they played against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk just days after the monarch died in September 2022.
But that hasn’t stopped fans from making anti-royal chants during games, such as “you can shove your coronation up your a***”.
