Prince Charles Praises English Soccer Star Rashford Amid Euro 2020 Loss, Racist Abuse

Prince Charles is praising Team England soccer player Marcus Rashford.

On Wednesday, the Prince of Wales spoke to U.K.’s Radio 4 about sustainable farming and highlight the celebrated athlete’s work off the field.

“From field to fork, extraordinary work is being done to try and build a better food system for everyone, be it Jamie Oliver promoting education and a balanced diet, Henry Dimbleby’s ambitions for safe, healthy and affordable food, or Marcus Rashford whose mission off the football field is to tackle child hunger,” said the 73-year-old.

Rashford, 23, has strongly advocated for the British government to provide free school meals, especially during school holidays, to combat hunger for children in underserved families, People magazine reported.

And the cause hits close to home. The Manchester United forward was a recipient of free school meals when he was a child.

The outlet noted that this is the second time Charles has publicly supported Rashford. The first came on Monday when the royal shared an excerpt from his speech on Windrush Day 2020 in the U.K. The prince noted how “the rich diversity of cultures which make this country so special – and in many ways unique – lies at the heart of what we can be as a nation.”

Many saw the quote as Charles’s response to the racist abuse Rashford, along with England teammates Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho, endured racism after they missed penalty kicks in overtime, leading to Italy’s win in the Euro 2020 final.

That Clarence House post came shortly after Charles’s eldest son Prince William addressed the racism directly on Monday.