Prince William surprised Aston Villa fans by joining them for an impromptu gathering at a Birmingham pub, where he bought everyone a round of drinks after concluding his first royal engagement of the year.

On 15 January, the Prince of Wales was announced as the new patron of the College of Paramedics and attended its inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference in Birmingham, England. This marked his first official duty of the year, a day after his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared the joyous news of being in remission from cancer.

After engaging with paramedics, attending workshops, and delivering a speech highlighting his commitment to supporting first responders, Prince William made an unplanned stop at Wetherspoons, a popular UK pub chain.

The Prince of Wales, 42, used the opportunity to meet with fellow Aston Villa fans, treating them to a round of drinks at the Birmingham New Street station branch of Wetherspoons. The meetup coincided with Aston Villa’s game later that evening.

Rebecca English of the Daily Mail reported on X (formerly Twitter), “Prince William surprised pub-goers when he popped into a Wetherspoons at the train station in Birmingham today. He arranged a meet-up with a group of @AVFCOfficial regulars while in the city to speak at the College of Paramedics conference and bought them a round.” She added, “You’ve got to be British to understand the cultural significance of a future king in the ‘spoons!”

Prince William enjoyed a pint of Bulmers cider and appeared relaxed among his fellow Aston Villa fans, posing for photos and even smiling for selfies.

Steve Jones, a lifelong Villa supporter, revealed that the royal encounter was arranged after Aston Villa reached out, informing him that the Prince wanted to meet fans during his Birmingham visit.

“We were contacted by the club saying Prince William wanted to meet a delegation of Villa fans. He was fantastic and very engaged with the club. He’s not a casual fan; he truly loves Villa,” Jones said.

The Prince impressed fans with his knowledge of the team, discussing transfers, the upcoming Champions League trip to Monaco, and the season's prospects. Jones also shared that Prince George, the eldest of William’s three children, is an Aston Villa fan, though William joked he didn’t want all three of his children supporting the same team.

William expressed his hopes for Aston Villa’s match against Everton, mentioning his concerns over the team facing a “new manager syndrome” after Everton’s recent leadership changes. The match was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. that evening at Goodison Park.

The Prince even made light of his fandom during his speech at the College of Paramedics’ conference, saying, “It’s great to be back in Birmingham, and for any fellow Villa fans with us today – I look forward to celebrating our win over Everton later.” His remarks were met with laughter and applause from the audience.

Prince William has been a passionate Aston Villa supporter for years, drawn to the club for its “underdog” spirit. In a 2018 interview with The Telegraph, he explained, “I wanted a team that was more mid-table, offering an emotional rollercoaster rather than the predictable success of big clubs like Manchester United or Chelsea.”

As president of the Football Association, William has attended numerous Villa matches with his family, often bringing his son, Prince George, to games.

A source close to the Prince told PEOPLE that following Aston Villa provided William with much-needed positivity during challenging times, as both his wife and father were undergoing cancer treatments.

“He has been hugely buoyed by Aston Villa’s success,” the source said. “The importance of football in moments like these shouldn’t be underestimated.”