The final of the European Championship will put Prince William to the test

(CNN) – When the England soccer team sings the national anthem before the Euro 2020 final against Italy begins on Sunday, Prince William will join the rest of the crowd at Wembley, just as he has done in other key matches.

William has attended in his capacity as president of the English Football Association (a pretty cool position for a football-loving royal), but in Sunday’s appearance he will also represent the queen. After all, the monarch cannot be expected to last a full 90-minute match at her age. More if it is going to extend and penalties … imagine. In fact, no, don’t imagine it.

Royals don’t go to games just for fun. As the head of the nation, the Queen has a duty to act as “a focus of national identity, unity and pride” and to “recognize success and excellence” officially. This is why the family was present at the London 2012 Olympic Games and other important national events and moments of celebration. We Brits want them to cheer us on and get excited with us when things go our way, in the same way that we want them to do the opposite when we are losing. They not only represent us, they must also reflect the emotions of the nation.

The queen masters the art of expressing the state of mind of the nation, even when it appears that she is not expressing any emotion at all. This is how he has connected with his subjects and remained relevant during his 69-year reign, despite having very little in common with them in reality.

English celebrate in London the classification of the selection to the final of the Eurocopa.

Princes Charles and William will have to do the same when they assume the throne for their reigns to be equally successful. The easy part of being king will be the formal duties that come with being head of state. The most difficult task is to carry out those functions in a way that feels like it’s on behalf of the public.

Sunday will be a key test for Prince William, who will be up there in the stands, on his own, as the cameras zoom in on him at the most important moments of the match, a match that will be seen by millions of people and that could go to the history if fortune favors the British. It’s your chance to be associated with that.

If you can be seen how the nation feels, it will be your greatest opportunity yet to connect with your future subjects and show that you are there for them as your grandmother has always been. It’s not just about a football-loving royal going to a game, it’s about securing the future of the British monarchy and its place in the heart of the nation.