British Military personnel wearing protective coveralls work to remove a vehicle connected to the March 4 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, from a residential street in Gillingham, southeast England on March 14, 2018. Britain will expel 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in England, Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers today. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Theresa May: Royal Family, Officials to Skip 2018 World Cup over Spy Poisoning

Rory MarsdenMar 14, 2018

Theresa May, the British prime minister, has announced that no ministers or members of the royal family will attend the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia this summer following the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury, England.

Per TicToc by Bloomberg, May revealed the boycott at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, 10 days on from the poisoning of former intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, with a nerve agent:

TOP NEWS

"There will be no attendance by ministers, or indeed members of the royal family, at this summer's World Cup in Russia," she said.

The announcement comes after the prime minister said it is "highly likely" the Russian government is responsible for the attack on the Skripals, per Lydia Smith of the Independent.

As president of the Football Association, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, has been a past attendee at major tournaments in which England have been involved, most recently UEFA Euro 2016.

In 2010, he also played a part in England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

There is now no chance of Prince William attending the Russia tournament, although a previous report by Graeme Demianyk of the Huffington Post indicated he never planned to anyway.