“I felt like a swan”, Prince William recalls moment with Taylor Swift
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Prince William has recalled how he is still “cringing” from an encounter with Taylor Swift eight years ago.
The royal prince spoke in a podcast and remembered “being in a trance” when Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi called him up to the stage to perform at a 2013 charity gala for the Centrepoint charity for homeless young people.
“I can’t believe I’m telling this story,” he began, which means you know it’s going to be a good one.
Prince William joined Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift to perform ‘Livin on a Prayer’ in 2013. Photo credit: Dave J Hogan/Centrepoint/Getty Images Europe.
“When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi do his performance, I thought, ‘That’s it. My job is done. I’ll get dinner in a minute, and I might be able to have a chat with some people, and, you know, I’m off-duty a little bit now.’” said Prince William, then adding: “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.’”
“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,’” admitted the royal prince who is a self-confessed ‘Swiftie’.
“I walked up on stage in a trance, and then sort of halfway through Jon Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” song, I woke up.”
“But the Centrepoint young guys and girls were there all loving it and cheering away, so I thought, ‘Well, if they’re enjoying it, then the night is for them. So sod it. I can’t be the doofus who’s going to ruin it for everyone,’” he continued.
“And so I desperately try and remember some of the words and sing as hard as I can. Beneath my black tie, there was a lot of sweating going on.”
“I felt like a swan, where I was trying to keep myself composed on the outside, but inside, the little legs were paddling fast.”
William revealed how despite his general experience with public speaking and large crowds, this on-stage experience took him “completely out of his comfort zone”.
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