Prince William explains why he skipped World Cup final

Prince William has received backlash for skipping the final of the Women's World Cup on Sunday in Australia.

According to  senior royal correspondent Richard Palmer, "William argued it would look bad to turn up in Australia for the first time since 2014 for just a football match but critics wonder why there wasn’t a royal tour, for him or the King, planned to coincide with the tournament."

He added, "Royal sources in turn insist that an invitation from the overseas realms and permission from the British government are needed for overseas visits. Might it be fair to say they all collectively took their eye off the ball?"

Referring to Prince William's video message for the Lionesses which also featured his daughter Charlotte, Richard Palmer said, "A quick video message or press release are no substitute for actually being there, in the eyes of many football fans who will not forget this in a hurry. 

He added, "Sir Geoff Hurst, who scored three goals in England’s 1966 World Cup Final win over West Germany, led the condemnation of the royals.

He said, "It was a mistake for the Royals to not travel to see the Lionesses play in the Women's World Cup final."

"A member of the Royal Family should definitely have gone," said the former footballer.