Prince William Reveals Why He's Still "Cringing" About the First Time He Met Taylor Swift Back in 2013
"To this day, I still do not know what came over me."
Back in 2024, Prince William attended one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour dates in London with two of his children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George. The Prince of Wales even took selfies with the pop superstar, which quickly went viral. But William actually first met Swift in 2013 and he hasn't forgotten the embarrassing evening they spent together.
During a 2021 interview with Apple Fitness+'s "Time To Walk," William opened up about the unexpected night he spent with Swift in 2013. The pair attended a Centrepoint charitable gala at Kensington Palace, where they took to the stage with Jon Bon Jovi to perform a rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer."
William explained (via the Independent), "I can't believe I'm actually telling you this story...I turn up and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet."
"I turn up and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet."
The Prince of Wales continued, "And then I went inside, met everybody, a lot of handshaking to do these nights, a lot of chatting...When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi do his performance, I thought: 'That's it. My job is done...I'm off-duty a little bit now.'"
However, Prince William had no idea that Swift was about to intervene.
"She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye and says: 'Come on, William. Let's go and sing,'" the prince recalled. "To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I'm cringing at what happened next and I don't understand why I gave in."
"She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye and says: 'Come on, William. Let's go and sing.'"
William explained, "But, 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: 'Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea, I'll follow you.'"
As for what it was like performing with two famous musicians, William said, "I walked up on stage in a trance and then sort of halfway through Jon Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer' song, I wake up. And I'm thinking to myself: 'Am I standing on the stage singing 'Livin’ On A Prayer' when I don’t even know the words?'"
Unfortunately for William, it seems that the "Shake It Off" singer is extremely persuasive.
