Prince William praised for Euros moment with mystery girl as fans question royal protocol

The world watched on last night (27 July) as the Lionesses brought it home during the eagerly anticipated Women's Euros final, which took place in Basel, Switzerland.

While Spain started off strong scoring a goal within the first 25 mins, England soon equalised with Alessia Russo scoring in the 57th minute. And, after we stayed 1-1 throughout the 30 minutes of extra time, football fans from all over were glued to the TV as the two teams battled it out on penalties.

England were able to retain their Women's Euros title after beating Spain 3-1 on penalties, with the likes of Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles and Chloe Kelly getting the goals in the back of the net.

During the post-match celebrations, Prince William - who is patron of the Football Association, congratulated the Lionesses and shook the players' hands, as well as coach Sarina Wiegman.

Prince William congratulated the Lionesses following their victory at the Euros final last night (27 July) (Alexander Hassenstein / Staff / Getty Images)

However, all eyes were on a young girl who was by the Prince of Wales' side for the ceremony, also shaking hands with the players.

She looked absolutely over the moon to be there and could barely contain her excitement as she got to interact with the Lionesses.

Judging by her shirt, the young girl was likely representing the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Foundation for Children which 'defends the rights of underprivileged children by using the power of football to improve their lives and to help them develop their potential and find their place in the community'.

While some internet trolls took to social media to blast the child for apparently 'breaking' royal protocol and being 'rude' given her enthusiasm in shaking the players' hands in handshakes, which would sometimes overlap the future King's, others rushed to both defend her and praise William for the heartwarming Euros moment.

While there is no explicit law forbidding touching members of the royal family, it is a long-standing tradition rooted in respect and formality.

People were quick to notice 12-year-old Greta who stood next to William on the podium while they shook the players' hands (Matthias Hangst / Staff / Getty Images)

"I'm sure it wasn't rudeness just enthusiasm," penned one X user. "I'm sure Prince William wasn't remotely bothered."

Another wrote: "Please try to have a little understanding. William certainly wasn't bothered!"

And a final person outlined: "Some children have additional needs, misread social cues or have never been in that situation before and probably full of nerves. A compassionate person should be able to see and understand that."

The young girl in question is 12-year-old Greta, from Switzerland, who lives with a genetic form of epilepsy that was diagnosed at the age of six months.

UEFA enabled Greta, a sports enthusiast who loves football, basketball, horse riding and swimming to attend the ceremony in Basel’s St. Jakob-Park.

"Greta is a cheerful, open-minded, and determined young girl with a great passion for sport," UEFA said in a statement.

"Her enthusiasm, perseverance, and love of sport made her a fitting and inspiring choice to participate in the medal ceremony alongside UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin."