Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce began dating in the summer of 2023, but they waited nearly a year before making their relationship Instagram official. When Swift finally shared a photo of the couple, she turned the announcement into a major pop-culture moment: the selfie also featured Prince William and his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The memorable snapshot from Swift’s Eras Tour stop in London almost looked very different, however. William reportedly tried to keep the Kansas City Chiefs tight end out of the frame. Kelce, for his part, holds no grudge.
William and his children had gone backstage to meet Swift after her Eras Tour concert at London’s Wembley Stadium, and he wanted a photo to capture the occasion. Kelce says he understood the situation. “I get it, man. I was just the boyfriend at that point. I wasn’t her husband yet,” the NFL star said on his “New Heights” podcast on October 28, 2026. Swift and Kelce married in July 2026, but their first Instagram photo together had already become an unforgettable moment for fans.
Most people recognized how significant the selfie was — though William admitted he did not. “I hadn’t appreciated the significance,” he joked on “The Graham Norton Show” a week before Kelce shared his version of events. “And actually, I was trying to move him out of the photo.” Kelce kept edging back into the shot until William eventually surrendered. “I couldn’t work out why he kept coming back in,” the prince recalled with a laugh. Fortunately for pop-culture history, the future king gave up — and the iconic photo survived.
When royals become fans of pop royalty
Prince William’s connection to Taylor Swift predates the viral Eras Tour selfie by more than a decade. At a Centrepoint fundraising gala in November 2013, the youth homelessness charity’s event brought William together with Swift and Jon Bon Jovi. The prince later recalled the surprise encounter on Apple Fitness+’s “Time to Walk” series, saying, “I turn up, and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet, as well,” according to L’Officiel. William then joined the pair onstage for an impromptu performance of “Livin’ on a Prayer” — despite the number not being part of the planned program.
William still looks back on that spontaneous performance with some embarrassment. “To this day, I still do not know what came over me,” he said. Yet he also explained exactly how it happened: “Frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm, and says, ‘Come with me…’ I got up like a puppy and went.” Kelce does not appear to mind William’s history with Swift. The NFL star has spoken warmly of the Prince of Wales, saying on “New Heights,” “Shoutout to Prince William, man.”
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