Spain defeated England 1-0 in the final of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday, capping off a tournament that has broken attendance and TV records and raised hopes of a surge in interest for the women’s game. …
England and Spain were both making their first appearance at a Women’s World Cup final, while England’s wait for a first trophy since the men’s tournament in 1966 goes on.
(Reuters, August 19, 2023)
Royals snub Lionesses
I was rooting for Jamaica to win it all. But Colombia eliminated them in the round of 16. So I couldn’t care less who won this final match.
But that changed when I discovered no member of the British royal family was flying Down Under to support England’s Lionesses. That royal snub incited this post.
Prince William is president of the Football Association (FA). So, it’s arguable that he, even more than King Charles, had a duty to show up. This, especially given that the Lionesses were vying for England’s first Women’s World Cup title.
The point is that, for English football fans, nothing was more important than showing as much support for them as possible. William’s royal snub even moved me to root for them.
Snub reflects unequal pay
Let’s face it. William and Kate would’ve flown to Australia if this were the Men’s World Cup, with England vying for the title. But it’s telling and upstaging that young Queen Letizia of Spain made a show of flying there – complete with her daughter in tow.
Everyone talks about how much this event means to women and girls worldwide. Therefore, you’d think Kate would’ve insisted on flying there to support the Lionesses – even without her husband.
But this royal snub betrays the prevailing inequality in soccer. Nothing demonstrated this quite like FIFA President Gianni Infantino giving women players this patronizing and willfully ignorant exhortation:
I say to all the women that you have the power to change. Pick the right battles, pick the right fights. … You have the power to convince us, men, what we have to do … just do it. With me, with FIFA, you will find open doors. Just push the doors, they are open.
(CNN, August 18, 2023)
And no, this has nothing to do with players refusing to sing their own National Anthems. Like the IOC’s Bach, Infantino is just appeasing China and Russia by discouraging any protests (for human rights or against the war in Ukraine) that would embarrass them…
Unsurprisingly, Infantino’s words sparked palpable outrage. After all, women players have been picking the right fight for equal pay for over three decades. And Infantino knows that they’ve been relentlessly pushing at FIFA doors. But the men behind those doors have kept them shut with chauvinistic zeal.
That’s why FIFA allocated $440 million in prize money for last year’s men’s world cup but only $110 million for this year’s women’s world cup. Perhaps the right fight for women to pick is one that forces FIFA to get rid of chauvinistic buffoons like Infantino.
Last year, the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) won a groundbreaking settlement with the US Soccer Federation. It calls for them to receive equal pay whenever they represent the US at friendlies and tournaments like the World Cup.
But this was tantamount to Blacks winning equal voting rights in 1965. Because that did not end racial discrimination in housing, employment, and every facet of public life.
Of course, the US won the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. And excited talk about inspiring girls and generating revenues has followed each tournament ever since. But I alluded to Taylor Swift because that talk has rarely amounted to much between World Cup tournaments.
Missed opportunity for beleaguered royals
The late Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years. That’s why the sexism inherent in William and Kate snubbing the Lionesses is as ironic as it is shocking.
Of course, the royal family has suffered many PR setbacks in recent years. I need only cite Harry and Meghan’s Megxit from royal duties and Andrew’s lawsuit arising from his association with the Jeffrey Epstein child sex ring.
But, by all accounts, William and Kate were doing wonders repairing the PR damage. Exhibit A was their triumphant royal visit to Boston last year to award environmental prizes.
Incidentally, Harry and Meghan attempted to upstage them. They attended a gala in New York City at the same time to accept a leadership award. But they only reinforced the perception that everything they do in exile is just a royal sideshow.
Still, apropos of upstaging, imagine the PR coup if Harry and Meghan’s PR team had them fly Down Under the minute they knew William and Kate were not going. Pictures of the Megxit couple Harry and Meghan celebrating (if they had won) or commiserating (now that they have lost) with the Lionesses would have been priceless.
Of course, British commoners didn’t need to see Harry and Meghan supporting the Lionesses, instead of William and Kate, to feel outraged. William and Kate refusing to interrupt their summer holiday to support the Lionesses was triggering enough.
Indeed, the last time Britons vented such outrage against the royal family was when the late queen refused to interrupt her summer holiday to pay respects after the death of Lady Diana.
William apologizes after backlash
William posted a video of him sitting alongside his daughter Charlotte as he wished the Lionesses luck. He then apologized for not being there in person but assured them he was royally proud of them.
- William wanted to respect royal protocol by not visiting Australia before the king.
- William wanted to avoid the carbon footprint traveling there would leave.
The royal family will regret snubbing this historic women’s event for generations to come. Hell, fans at Wimbledon might even begin booing them off Centre Court.
And using his daughter as a shield against the backlash only made his contrived apology look pathetic. Besides using her instead having George, the heir, to deliver well wishes only highlighted his sexism. For it showed that William thinks having picnics at one of his family’s castles is more important than supporting the Lionesses in person.
I am an avowed and well-documented antimonarchist. This royal snub shows why I believe Britons should abolish the monarchy. At the very least, I suspect it will cause millions to see the British royals as too entitled and too out of touch with ordinary people.