Prince William appears to have gained a new superfan in Travis Kelce, the boyfriend of pop sensation Taylor Swift.
The Kansas City Chiefs player had the chance to meet the Prince of Wales backstage on Friday night ahead of Taylor’s first Eras Tour concert at Wembley Stadium, and he was thoroughly impressed, describing William as “awesome.”
Travis, William, Taylor, and Prince George and Princess Charlotte posed for a selfie that sent social media into a frenzy, with Taylor playfully saying, “Happy birthday M8!”
This meeting was particularly notable since Taylor rarely meets fans, regardless of their fame, before her shows on the Eras tour as she prepares for her lengthy performances. A source later revealed to the Mail’s Richard Eden that Taylor initiated the meeting, stating, “Taylor Swift was keen to meet the Prince of Wales while she was in London. They already know each other, so the meeting made sense.”
Travis has shown even more enthusiasm for the royals than Taylor. He and his brother filmed a five-minute segment on their New Heights podcast, expressing their admiration for the royal family. Travis remarked that “no other Prince” compares to William, praising his down-to-earth demeanor.
Given that Taylor reportedly declined an invitation to appear on Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast last year, some might interpret Travis’s comments as a subtle jab at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While Taylor likely aims to remain neutral, she has a history with Prince William, having shared the stage with him and Bon Jovi in 2013.
William has made his admiration for Taylor clear, reportedly telling Ronnie Wood that he would only attend a Rolling Stones concert if Taylor were involved. He was also seen enthusiastically dancing to “Shake It Off” during Friday’s concert.
Social media reactions to the new selfies included remarks like, “Oh man the shade!!!” directed at Meghan and Harry, and “You never saw Harry and Meghan get that close to Taylor Swift. Thanks for choosing the right side, Taylor.”
Meghan has attended an Eras tour show before, even singing along to “You Belong with Me” at one of Taylor’s Los Angeles performances last August. However, she didn’t receive the same warm welcome as the Waleses and was not seen taking a photo with Taylor.
While Meghan was reportedly at the SoFi Stadium with her friend Lucy Fraser, a prominent figure in the Sussexes’ Netflix series, she didn’t seem to be in the VIP area, where Charlize Theron was spotted dancing to the music.
Jason echoed his brother’s sentiments, calling William “a good dude.” He added, “They were wonderful people. It’s hard to be a down-to-earth human being in a monarchy, but they came off that way completely.”
Travis even shared a story about how Taylor and William sang together at a charity event in 2013, emphasizing how Taylor helped William come out of his shell and that they had a great time together.