Princes to miss England kick-off

When the referee blows the whistle at the start of England's first World Cup match on Sunday, nearly every football fan in the country will be glued to their television screens.

Every football fan, that is, apart from the two most famous. Because when England kick off against Sweden, Princes William and Harry will be going to church with their father. A Welsh church.

Unfortunately for the soccer-mad teenagers, their father arranged months ago to take them to St Mary's Church in Swansea for a special service to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee during a weekend of celebrations in Wales.

The service will start at 11.15am - 45 minutes after kick-off in Saitama, Japan - and will finish about an hour later, just as the final whistle is blown. And in case the young princes are tempted to use modern technology to keep up with the score, they should be warned. Mobile phones and pagers have been banned from the church for just that reason.

A spokesman for St James's Palace insisted William and Harry were not bothered by the clash.

"We are aware of the World Cup but I can assure you the boys will be very happy to be there," he said. While St Mary's in Swansea is pressing ahead with its scheduled service, many other churches across the country may delay their services to avoid clashing with the big game.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, known for his love of the beautiful game, has given his blessing to church leaders who wish to change the time of their Sunday morning worship.

Dr George Carey, a keen Arsenal fan, decided to intervene and advise parishes throughout Britain after a number of clergy tried to find out what they should do.

Some feared they might upset their congregations if they changed the service time, while others wanted assurance that church authorities would not mind.

The archbishop said individual churches should feel free to start their services after the game ends at 12.15pm, and suggested ministers consult their congregations on the subject.