Travis Kelce offered insight into the moment Taylor Swift sang “Livin’ on a Prayer” with Jon Bon Jovi and Prince William at a charity event in 2013.
“They actually performed karaoke with Bon Jovi,” Travis, 34, told brother Jason Kelce about Swift, 34, and William, 42, during the Wednesday, June 26, “New Heights” podcast episode. “Bon Jovi called them up and was like, ‘Yo, why don’t you come on up here and sing this one with me?’ And I guess he was like, ‘I don’t know.’”
Per Travis’ account of the throwback moment, Swift told the now Prince of Wales, “Let’s do this. I’ll roll up there with you.” Photo evidence of the moment proved that Swift and William did, in fact, share the stage with a music legend.
“Tay got [William] out of his shell and sure enough, he went up there and they ripped it and they said he had a blast,” Travis continued. “And I’m just like, I don’t know if any other Prince is doing that. You know what I mean?”
The event in question was the Winter White Gala dinner in aid of youth homeless charity Centrepoint at Kensington Palace in November 2013. When Swift took the stage at Wembley Stadium in London on Friday, June 21— and came face-to-face with William once again — the “Livin’ on a Prayer” clip resurfaced on social media.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted William — along with two of his kids, Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 9 — enjoying the Eras Tour on his 42nd birthday. While backstage at the event, the royal family members met and snapped a photo with Swift and Travis.
“Dude, he was the coolest motherf–ker,” Travis said of William during Wednesday’s “New Heights” episode. “He was so cool!”
The Kansas City Chiefs star admitted he was unsure about royal protocol when meeting the family members.
“I didn’t realize this because obviously we’re backstage meeting him because he was there with little George and Charlotte, and they were an absolute delight to meet,” Travis continued. “Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to like bow to them, curtsy, just be an American idiot and shake their hand.”
Jason, 36 — who also met the royals — said they “did get [a] warning” about meeting the royal family before William and the kids came backstage.
“They said that because we weren’t at like an official royal event, we didn’t need to bow or curtsy,” he explained. “If it would have been like an official meeting of royalty event, then it would have been that. But I did still address him as Your Royal Highness.”
