Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman has been awarded an honorary damehood by Prince William after leading England to back-to-back Euro wins.
Wiegman is Dutch and therefore cannot be made a substantive dame. Instead she has picked up the honorary title, because the Netherlands does not have a British monarch as its head of state.
She said upon being awarded the title at Windsor Castle on Tuesday: ‘I feel very privileged to receive my honorary Damehood from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle today.
‘It is a day I will never forget and made even more special by sharing it with members of my family.
‘I would like to again express my sincere gratitude for this honour and for the continued respect and warmth I experience from the English people. I thank everyone for their support.’
Wiegman was named in the King’s New Year’s Honours list at the end of 2025, alongside several members of her England team.
England manager Sarina Wiegman (left) has been awarded an honourary damehood by Prince William (right)
Captain Leah Williamson was awarded a CBE, with Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone all being honoured with MBEs.
Wiegman said at the time: ‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this honour. When I first arrived in England, I could never have imagined the respect and warmth I’ve experienced from the English people. I deeply thank the fans for their support.
‘This title is a reflection of my exceptional team of players and staff. My congratulations go to Alex, Ella, Georgia, Keira, Leah and also Dr Ritan Mehta who have all been celebrated for their brilliant contributions.
‘Our team values mean that when there is recognition for one, then there is recognition for all. I want to pay tribute to every member of our EURO squad. They should all be celebrated for everything they brought to the pitch and for the positive role they play in society. I’m proud to work alongside such a dedicated group of people.’
The former Netherlands coach took over the England team in 2021 and led them to success at Euro 2022 and Euro 2025.
She also reached the World Cup final in 2023, and signed a new two-year contract extension earlier this year, which will take her to the end of the 2029 Euros.
