Thursday 9 July 2015 16:23, UK
England's Women's head coach Mark Sampson was delighted his side were invited to Kensington Palace and feels their success at the World Cup has dramatically helped boost the popularity of women's football in the country.
A first win over Germany at the 21st attempt secured third place in Canada, with record numbers watching matches at the tournament.
The England squad had breakfast with the president of the FA, Prince William, Duke Of Cambridge, and also spent time coaching local schoolchildren.
"We have had some fantastic support from the Prince this tournament and it was excellent to round off the journey with a trip to the Palace this morning," Sampson told Sky Sports News HQ.
"When the Prince first visited us at our training camp at St George's Park prior to the tournament, that was when we realised 'we are at a World Cup'.
"So (it was great to) finish off by coming back to the Palace and hearing the Prince's views on the team.
"He had clearly watched the games and was interested in the team. He contacted us while we were in Canada and did everything he could to try and come to the semi-final.
"The support the team has got has been brilliant, not just from the Prince but from the English public as a whole. They are really good ambassadors and deserve the recognition they have got."
Chelsea and England striker Eniola Aluko has also been taken aback by how much of an impact the team have had on the English public, especially girls who are taking more an interest in football as a result of the national team's impressive performances.
"When you go onto social media and you see people saying, 'my daughter wants to get an England kit with one of the England Women's players’ names on' or 'my daughter wants to stay up and watch the game, even though it's a school night', you get the feeling you are having a wider impact," she said.
"I think that's what is really important, more so than winning football matches.
"It's also about the future generations and young girls that are going to go on and wear the England shirt one day.
"We met Prince William just before we went to the World Cup, so seeing him again is like catching up with an old friend.
"He is always so complimentary about the time so it was really nice to see him again."
The support the team has got has been brilliant, not just from the prince but from the English public as a whole.
The next challenge for the women’s game is to attract more spectators to their matches, especially in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
"That's the measurable benefit of more fans coming to watch WSL games in order to grow the game," added Aluko.
"It's a huge catalyst now for the game to grow if more fans come to games and hopefully that will happen."
