Taylor Swift and Prince William's history as they reunite at Wembley
They first bumped into each other 11 years ago.
Taylor Swift and Prince William's backstage Wembley Stadium selfie sent the internet into a frenzy this weekend but what some fans might not know is that this mighty meeting of pop and royalty has happened before.
Currently cracking on with her already iconic Eras Tour, which landed in London this Friday for a three-day run with support from Paramore, METTE, Griff and Benson Boone, the 'I Knew You Were Trouble' singer brushed shoulders with the future king all the way back in 2013 during the charitable Winter Whites Gala, too.
They're basically good pals, as was displayed in Swift's photo caption on Saturday, which read: "Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start @princeandprincessofwales".
The Eras Tour (2024)
Grinning from ear to ear, the earth-shaking Instagram selfie in question saw Swift, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Travis Kelce cosy up for a sweet snapshot ahead of the popstar's second consecutive night playing beneath the Wembley arch. At the time of writing, it's notched up almost 9 million likes.
Returning the favour with another behind-the-scenes photo on his own social channel, William later wrote: "Thank you @taylorswift for a great evening! #LondonTSTheErastour".
William, who shares a third child in Prince Louis with his wife Kate Middleton, was attending the concert on the same day he turned 42 years old. Such was the monarch's enjoyment of hit tune 'Shake it Off', a fan video taken from below his viewing balcony caught William busting out some serious dad moves.
Other tracks Swift performed that evening were shortened versions of 'You Need to Calm Down', 'Fearless', 'Enchanted' and 'Wildest Dreams'.
The Winter Whites Gala (2013)
Remember 11 years ago, the duo first encountered each other at a Kensington Palace event raising money for the homeless charity Centrepoint. Swift herself gave a speech, thanking William for the invitation.
What happened further into the night will go down in royal folklore, though.
During an episode of the Apple Fitness+ audio series Time to Walk in 2021, William recalled finding himself in a situation for the ages, as he began: "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. 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. 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.'"
He continued: "I walked up on stage in a trance and then sort of halfway through Jon Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer' song, I wake up. And I'm thinking to myself, 'Am I standing on the stage singing 'Livin' on a Prayer' when I don't even know the words?'"
Despite not being up to speed on the lyrics, Swift was still impressed by the prince's voice, telling The Mail on Sunday that William had a "nice tone".
How did their Eras Tour reunion go down on social media?
As you would expect, the pair's big reunion selfie was celebrated far and wide on social media. "I love it, what a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday," read one reaction.
Two more Insta users went on to comment: "I don't know who I'm more jealous of. Taylor for meeting two future kings and the wonderful Princess Charlotte! Or them for meeting THE Taylor Swift" and "I love this so much! The pure joy!"
