Taylor Swift, Prince William and Jon Bon 2013 Photos spark controversy — It Involves ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’! : Here’s the Story Behind it

Before going Instagram official with Travis Kelce with a royally iconic selfie featuring Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte this weekend, Taylor Swift already had royal connections.

Back in 2013, Swift, 34, brought William to the stage during a Centrepoint charity event at London’s Kensington Palace and joined Jon Bon Jovi to perform a rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer.” At the time, William’s aides described the moment as completely “off the cuff.”

Years later, William opened up about the moment on a 2021 episode of Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk series and started off by admitting: “I can’t believe I’m actually telling this story.”

“I went to a charity fundraising gala for Centrepoint, which is a young homeless charity that I am very fond of and have supported for many years. It’s an annual fundraiser, and I turn up, and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet as well,” he recalled.

“When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi do his performance, I thought, ‘That’s it. My job is done. I’ll get a dinner in a minute, and I might be able to have a chat to some people, and, you know, I’m off-duty a little bit now.’ Little did I think what was going to happen next,” he continued. “I’m sat next to Taylor Swift. She’s on my left. And after Jon does 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 go and sing.’ ”

“To this day, I still do not know what came over me,” William added. “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, okay, that seems like a great idea. I’ll follow you.’ ”

This past Friday night, June 21, when William and two of his three children attended the Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium on his 42nd birthday, the prince was spotted letting loose and dancing along to “Shake It Off” from his seat.

Following the exciting outing, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account shared a photo of Swift snapping a selfie posing with the three Royals along with the caption, “Thank you @taylorswift for a great evening! #LondonTSTheErasTour.”

And of course, Swift shared her own epic selfie from the evening alongside boyfriend Travis Kelce with the caption, “Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start 🇬🇧🇺🇸🤝 @princeandprincessofwales.”

Swift was welcomed to London ahead of her stint at Wembley by the royal guard on June 21 with the band playing a rendition of “Shake It Off” in front of Buckingham Palace.

The royal family shared a video of the performance on social media, writing, “Can’t stop, won’t stop groovin’🫡🥁🎺.”