Prince William Pens Brand-New Message (and Adds Unique Personal Signature and Special Hashtag)

It's a big day for soccer fans—especially Prince William.

In case you haven't heard, today marks Aston Villa's first season in the Champions League, Europe's top club competition, since the 1982-83 season. However, the big day comes less than 24 hours after the club's legendary European Cup winner, Gary Shaw, sadly passed away. The Prince of Wales marked the occasion by sharing a personal statement on his Instagram Story. He wrote, "The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!"

To honor the late Shaw, the royal added, "My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing yesterday."

Royal enthusiasts might recall that Prince William has been quite vocal about his support for the team. In a 2015 interview with BBC News, he said, "I didn't really want to sort of follow the run-of-the-mill teams, I wanted to have a team that was more mid of the table, that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster [experience]."