Prince William made a solo appearance in Monaco on January 21 to watch his favorite soccer team, Aston Villa, play AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League.

This marks a personal milestone for the Prince, who has long dreamed of seeing his team play abroad.

The trip followed his wife Kate Middleton’s announcement on January 14 that she is in remission from cancer.

William, 42, was joined by close friends Thomas van Straubenzee and Nicholas van Cutsem as they cheered on Villa, though the team lost 1-0. The Prince, who was born in 1982—the same year Villa last won the European Cup—has maintained a longstanding connection with the club, which he began supporting after friends suggested it due to his birth year and the club’s history.

William also made a surprise appearance at a Birmingham pub on January 15 to meet fans before Villa’s win over Everton.

His trip to Monaco came after a morning visit to Centrepoint, the homelessness charity he has supported for 20 years.

The Prince’s next royal engagement will take place in Liverpool on January 23.