Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's significant 2024 picture with Prince William almost didn't happen

It was June 2024, before the first night of Taylor Swift's eight-night run at London's Wembley Stadium, when Prince William reunited with the superstar singer and introduced his eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The foursome posed for a selfie alongside Taylor's then-boyfriend Travis Kelce, and it broke the internet when Taylor posted it on Instagram, as it was the first-ever picture publicly shared by Taylor or Travis of them together. They had started dating nine months earlier.

But that picture almost didn't exist –and it would have been Prince William's fault.

The Duke made the surprising confession on The Graham Norton Show, after Graham asked if William was aware of the significance of Taylor's post.

"I wasn't until recently," said William. "I hadn't appreciated the significance, and actually – I was trying to move him out of the photo!"

As the audience laughed in shock, William continued: "Travis kept coming back in, and I couldn't work out why he kept coming back in! I was trying to move him out so it was just me and Taylor and the children!"

The Waleses' night out at the Eras Tour coincided with William's 42nd birthday, but it was not the first time he had met Taylor; the pair met in 2013 when Taylor attended a Kensington Palace gala for the Centrepoint charity.

During the gala, William was called up on stage alongside Taylor and Jon Bon Jovi to sing "Livin' on a Prayer," and he later said of the moment: "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.

"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, OK, that seems like a great idea. I'll follow you.'"

Travis and Taylor began dating in summer 2023 and made their official debut in late September when Taylor joined Travis' mom Donna Kelce and his friends at a Kansas City Chiefs game.

Before Taylor's June 2024 post, the only pictures of the pair were paparazzi pictures or snaps shared by friends and family.

Travis' brother Jason was also at the meet-and-greet in Wembley, and the brothers later discussed meeting the heirs to the throne, with the two admitting they shook hands with the Prince, with Jason bonding with William over being girl dads, and revealing how Charlotte made an impression on him with her bright personality and questions.

In July 2026, William appeared on the brothers' podcast, New Heights. 

It was recorded in mid June, after England’s World Cup win against Croatia, and William, the Patron of the Football Association, confirmed to the brothers he would travel to the US if the side progressed to the World Cup final and invited them to join him.

England lost in the semi-final.

During the episode, the Prince revealed he had met Taylor and Travis when they were in London in May 2026, and it was during this meeting that Travis floated the idea of a podcast appearance.