Two of the most famous people in the world came together this weekend for a photo that might shatter the internet into a million little pieces.
Okay, maybe three.
That depends on what you think about Travis Kelsey’s status around the world.
However, there’s no denying the fame of Taylor Swift and Prince William, who posed backstage on Friday night as William celebrated his birthday by attending Swift’s Era tour stop in London.
He did this with his kids, but unfortunately not with his wife, as Kate Middleton is still receiving treatment and taking care of herself after being diagnosed with cancer this year.
“Happy Birthday M8! London show off to a great start,” Swift captioned a photo, which garnered nearly one million likes within 20 minutes of being posted on Instagram.
You can check it out here:
As you can see, this iconic portrait includes Swift, William, Travis Kelsey, and two of William’s children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The latter trio watched the sold-out concert from a private suite.
“There’s no better 42nd birthday celebration than taking the kids to see the @taylorswift13 #ErasTour show. Prince William is celebrating his birthday tonight at @wembleystadium with his kids,” royal reporter Roya Nikkei tweeted Friday evening.
Meanwhile, this incident wasn’t actually the first time Taylor met William.
These superstars were introduced at the Centrepoint Gala Dinner held at Kensington Palace in 2013.
The future King of England later joined Swift and Bon Jovi for a performance of the rock icon’s 1986 hit “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Yes, this really happened.
During a 2021 episode of Apple Fitness+’s “Time to Walk” series, Prince William shared the story behind the viral, unexpected moment.
“I can’t believe I’m actually telling this story,” he said on the show.
“I went to a charity fundraising event for Centrepoint, which is a youth homeless charity that I love and have supported for many years. It’s an annual fundraising event, and I went there, and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift were at the event, which almost surprised me.”
Swift was very popular at the time. Successful, even. But that doesn’t compare to how she’s viewed today or what she’s accomplished over the past year.
“When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi perform, I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m done. I’ll have dinner in a minute, and maybe talk to some people, and, you know, I’m just on vacation for a little while.’ I never thought about what was going to happen next,” Williams continued in the aforementioned special.
“I’m sitting next to Taylor Swift. She’s on my left. And after John sings his first song, there’s a pause and she turns to me. She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye, and says, ‘Come on, William. Let’s sing more.’
“To this day I don’t know what came over me.
“Honestly, even now, I’m reeling from what happened after that, and I don’t understand why I gave up. But, honestly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your hand, and says, ‘Come with me…’ I’ll stand up like a puppy and say, ‘Yeah, okay, that’s a great idea. I’ll follow you.'”
We will definitely do the same.
What a great story.
What a memorable photo.
We just hope Middleton gets a chance to enjoy the Era Tour shows before Swift’s epic tour ends in December.
What better motivation than to get a whole lot better, right?!?