Prince William wished Tomasz Tuchel “good luck” after he was confirmed as England's new head coach, and told the German: “We're all behind you!”
The Prince of Wales, patron of the Football Association, supported the 51-year-old in a personal message posted on Kensington Palace's social media this morning.
He said: “Exciting times for England, with a generation of talented players and a new manager taking the reins. Thomas, I wish you all the best, we are all behind you! IN.
William previously met Tuchel when he was Chelsea manager, shaking hands before the FA Cup final match against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in May 2022.
The Prince, a keen Aston Villa fan, supported the England men's team at the Euro 2024 stadium – witnessing the team's 2-1 defeat by Spain in the Berlin final.
Former Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich manager Tuchel became the third non-English player to hold the position for Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Tuchel told englandfootball.com: “I am very proud to have the honor of managing England.
“I have felt a personal connection with football in this country for a long time and have already experienced many amazing moments.
“It is a huge privilege to have the opportunity to represent England and to have the opportunity to work with this unique and talented group of players is very exciting.”
Tuchel, who will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, will take up the position on January 1 ahead of World Cup qualifying.
A statement from the Football Association revealed that Tuchel signed on October 8 ahead of the final round of international matches, but the announcement was delayed to “minimize distractions around the international camp”.
Prince William greets Thomas Tuchel during his time as Chelsea manager, ahead of the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in London, May 14, 2022.
Before Thursday's defeat at home to Greece, interim head coach Lee Carsley was widely considered the favorite to take over permanently.
The recruitment process began following Gareth Southgate's resignation in July and several candidates were interviewed, with Tuchel being named as the preferred candidate for the position.
Carsley will remain in charge of the final round of Nations League matches against Greece and Ireland next month before returning to his role as Under-21 manager.
Former midfielder Barry, who spent his playing career in the lower leagues, previously worked with Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern Munich and is currently an assistant to Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We are thrilled to have recruited Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world, and Anthony Barry, who is one of the best English coaches, to support him. Our recruitment process was very thorough.
Prince William with former England manager Gareth Southgate during a visit with the team to their Burton-upon-Trent training center on June 10, 2024, ahead of the European Championship
“Since Gareth resigned, we have looked through the entire candidate pool, met with a number of coaches and assessed them against these criteria.
“Thomas was impressive and distinguished himself with great knowledge and determination. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience working with Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Basically, we wanted to hire a coaching team that would give us the best chance possible of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team are focused on giving us the best possible chance of winning the World Cup in 2026.
“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we have asked of him – he is a very talented coach and an important part of our path in England.”
Prince William and Prince George greet King Felipe VI of Spain ahead of the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, July 14
Tuchel started working as a coach after suffering a knee injury. He worked in Stuttgart, Augsburg and Mainz, and in 2015 he replaced Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.
Two years later, he moved to PSG, winning back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, and in January 2021, he joined Chelsea, leading them to the Champions League crown a few months later.
He was sacked in September 2022 over allegations of a breakdown in relations with the club's hierarchy and remained unemployed until joining Bayern Munich in March 2023.
He secured the Bundesliga title this season, but last season was something of a disaster as Bayern failed to lift a trophy and Tuchel's impending departure was announced in February.
Tuchel will reunite with England captain and Bayern striker Harry Kane. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Kane described the German as “a fantastic coach and a fantastic person”.
Tuchel will address the media this afternoon to discuss his new role at a press conference.
