Spain’s Queen Letizia to travel for World Cup final while UK royals stay at home

Queen Letizia of Spain is set to travel to Australia for the World Cup final, while UK royals are due to remain at home.

The Spanish royal will travel with her 16-year-old daughter Ifanta Sofia for Sunday’s fixture against the Lionesses in order to show the country’s “commitment” to national football.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation made the announcement on Thursday, the day after England beat the Matildas 3-1 in Sydney.

On Wednesday, Kensington Palace confirmed the Prince of Wales, who is also president of the Football Association (FA), would not be travelling to Australia for the final.

Instead, he will watch the match on television as he cheers the Lionesses on.

In October, he was not planning to attend the men’s World Cup, staged by controversial hosts Qatar, due to a busy winter schedule.

But it was understood his office might have looked at making arrangements if Gareth Southgate’s team had reached the final.

It is understood William made the decision not to travel to the Lionesses’ final because a trip to Australia would involve flying across the world for a very short period of time, and there were other ways he could show support for the team.

The prince has made tackling climate change one of his priorities, launching the Earthshot Prize to find solutions to repair and regenerate the earth.

William saw the Lionesses win the European Championship last year, presenting them with their medals at Wembley.

After the Lionesses’ semi-final victory on Wednesday, both the King and the Prince of Wales congratulated the team on their win.

William celebrated England’s “phenomenal performance” as he tweeted a personal message of congratulations.

The King also sent his “warmest congratulations” from all the royal family, hailing the “mighty Lionesses” as an “inspiration on and off the pitch”.