I was lucky to know club owner, says William
PRINCE William yesterday said he was “lucky to have known” club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
William, president of the Football Association, paid tribute to Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, praising his “big contribution to football”.
The Duke of Cambridge and his brother Harry had known the Thai billionaire, who owned the King Power duty free firm, for five years.
The businessman, who was also friendly with the Queen and Prince Charles, had reportedly given hundreds of thousands of pounds to Wiliam and Harry’s royal charities through polo and other fundraising events.
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha was at Kensington Palace just a couple of weeks ago to discuss football and charity work with William.
The two royal brothers, who raise around £1million a year for charity by playing polo at events where wealthy people pay to socialise with them, regularly played at Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s 200-acre Billingbear Park estate near Wokingham, Berkshire.
The pair played there in July in the King Power Royal Charity Polo Cup.
William, 36, also knew crash victim helicopter pilot Eric Swaffer through their mutual interest in aviation.
The second in line to the throne, who still pilots helicopters to keep his flying hours up, had flown with Mr Swaffer only recently, a friend said.
In his public statement, however, William focused on his friendship with the Leicester owner, saying: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and all the victims of the terrible crash. I was lucky to have known Vichai for several years.
“He was a businessman of strong values who was dedicated to his family and who supported a number of important charitable causes.
“He made such a big contribution to football, not least through Leicester City’s magical 2016 season that captured the imagination of the world.”