Prince William Admits He Tried to Push Travis Kelce Out of the Taylor Swift Selfie
Prince William has finally explained what was really going on in one of the most famous celebrity selfies of recent years — and it turns out he spent the whole moment trying to get Travis Kelce out of the picture.
The photo that went around the world
The selfie was taken backstage at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour show at London's Wembley Stadium on 21 June 2024, People reports. William had brought his two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, to the concert to celebrate his 42nd birthday, and the group posed with Swift backstage. When Swift shared the photo on Instagram, it marked the first time she had publicly posted a picture with Kelce, her boyfriend at the time — a milestone fans immediately recognised as the couple going Instagram official. She captioned it, "Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start."
"I was trying to move him out of the photo"
Speaking during a surprise appearance on The Graham Norton Show episode that aired on Friday 23 October 2026, William admitted he had no idea at the time just how significant the picture would become. Asked by host Graham Norton whether he had appreciated the significance of the selfie, the Prince of Wales joked, "I wasn't until recently. I hadn't appreciated the significance — and actually, I was trying to move him out of the photo," People reports. He went on: "But 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 studio audience laughed along as William told the story.
A friendship that goes back years
William's friendship with Swift stretches back more than a decade, People notes. In 2013 she performed at a charity evening for Centrepoint, the homelessness charity the prince supports, and he even joined her on stage alongside Jon Bon Jovi to sing "Livin' on a Prayer." The connection has only grown since: William has appeared on Kelce's New Heights podcast, and People previously confirmed that Swift and Kelce had a secret meeting with William and Princess Kate in London ahead of their wedding in July. He was appearing alongside guests connected to his Earthshot Prize awards.
Why the story landed
Part of the charm of William's retelling is how ordinary it is: a dad trying to get a nice family photo, unaware he was standing in the middle of pop culture history. William may have wanted Kelce out of the frame, but as he now admits with a laugh, Kelce kept coming back in — and the photo is all the better for it.
Sources: People, 24 October 2026; Parade, 25 October 2026; IBTimes, 25 October 2026.