Travis and Jason Kelce have opened up on how terrified they were meeting the Royal Family backstage at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour back in 2024.
The NFL brothers welcomed Prince William to their New Heights podcast in a surprise episode to coincide with Travis’ wedding celebration at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
And in the wide-ranging chat, the trio reflected on the first – and only – time they have met previously, behind the scenes before one of Taylor’s huge shows in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
In a photo that immediately went viral at the time, Taylor and Travis smiled alongside the Prince and his two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Now, opening up about the moment, Travis has admitted he was ‘so nervous’ to meet the future King of England – with Jason even struggling to adhere to royal protocol.
‘That was honestly one of the coolest moments ever, was meeting you and the little ones that day,’ the soon-to-be-Mr-Swift said on the podcast.
Travis Kelce interviewed Prince William in a podcast episode released on his wedding day
The Prince of Wales and children Princess George and Princess Charlotte posed for a photo with Taylor and Travis at Wembley in 2024
‘Me and Jason joke about it all the time. We were so nervous to meet you guys and the Royal Family, and Jason has this running joke where he didn’t know what to do with his beer.’
In response, William can be seen laughing as Jason adds: ‘Yeah it wasn’t a joke, it was real.
‘Well, you want to be respectful and know what the protocols are, of course. No, it was awesome. And you were fantastic. Uh, the kids were great.’
One, in particular, has become a favorite for the Kelce clan, though, with Jason adding: ‘Princess Charlotte was still the highlight for me! I have four daughters as well, so, I mean, she was great.’
Laughing, William replies: ‘Congratulations, having four daughters. I don’t know how you do that!’
In response, Jason then concludes: ‘That is definitely a difficult task. The hardest job!’
William jokingly congratulated Jason on successfully raising four daughters on the podcast
The royals enjoyed a night at Wembley Stadium watching Swift perform on her Eras Tour
Meanwhile, Prince William used his appearance on the podcast to tease the possibility of the World Cup returning to England in the coming years, and open up on England fans’ boozy reputation at major tournaments.
The royal admitted that the taste of America’s beer could prove to be the biggest culture shock for the visiting England fans arriving in the States for the football extravaganza.
‘I think you haven’t met your match until you’ve met a lot of beer drinkers from the UK,’ he warned the two NFL stars. ‘We can handle our own beer to anyone.’
Like all England supporters, William, who previously served as the FA’s President from 2006 until he became Patron in 2024, is familiar with the pain and suffering that accompanies the experience of an international tournament.
Yet, despite the years of hurt, he insisted that he has faith that Thomas Tuchel’s side could be lifting the trophy on July 19 in New Jersey.
‘I always felt like we had a really good chance,’ he said. ‘But as each World Cup goes on and the results don’t quite go your way… a little bit of hope gets chipped away each time.
Kelce and Swift are celebrating their wedding in a huge 1,000-person event at MSG on Friday
William also revealed he is playing a part in trying to bring the World Cup back to England
‘I’m taking it calmly and quietly and like, come on, we’re going to do well and see how we go. But I am quietly confident, I think.’
While it remains to be seen if it truly is coming home this month, William hinted that the World Cup could be returning to England in the future. The tournament, at least.
‘I think trying to support our World Cup or European bids,’ he said when asked about his role with the FA by Jason. ‘This country particularly is mad about football.
‘So, trying to get a World Cup to be hosted here… Or a Euros here is fantastic. I’ve been trying to do a bit of work on that. But also I think I’ll be trying to help reform the system a bit as well.’
