A photo of Prince William and Taylor Swift has set tongues wagging after he and his kids attended the singer’s Eras tour for his birthday celebration.
Swift, who sold out the 90,000-capacity Wembley stadium for the first leg of her London Eras World Tour, smiled broadly in the selfie post with the Prince of Wales.
Several fans have taken to social media to react to the post, with some claiming that it was “shady” toward his brother, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan Markle.
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Prince William Hangs Out With Taylor Swift
Swift kicked off the London leg of her Eras World Tour at Wembley Stadium on Friday night and had a slew of celebrities in attendance, including Prince William and his kids, George and Charlotte.
Seemingly moved by the massive turnout of fans, she quipped, “Oh my God, London, look what you’ve done. What better way to spend a Friday night than in the most exhilarating city in the world?”
Footage of William having the time of his life on the dance floor as the popstar performed her 2014 hit “Shake It Off” has since emerged. The future king and his kids were also seen smiling in a selfie with Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales’s official X account posted the cute snap of the three royals and the pop star smiling from ear to ear – with the caption, “Thank you Taylor Swift for a great evening!”
Swift also returned the gesture with a picture of herself, the royals, and Kelce and captioned it, “Happy birthday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start,” in reference to William’s 42nd birthday.
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Was Taylor Swift Throwing Shade At Prince Harry And Meghan Markle?
Oh man the shade!!! To not only Meghan & Harry, but also her ex London Boy ? Bravo Taylor Swift and Prince William ????????? pic.twitter.com/iCB7tPVdQ2
— Andy Signore (@andysignore) June 22, 2024
Since the selfie was released, some royal fans have gone online to claim that it was shade toward Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Duchess of Sussex previously attended one of Swift’s shows in Los Angeles, but she seemed not to be sitting in the VIP section, and there were no photos of her with the singer afterward.
Swift also allegedly declined to appear on Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast after receiving an invite, prompting many to believe she was taking sides with the royal family, who are in a feud with the Sussexes.
“Oh man the shade!!! To not only Meghan & Harry but also her ex-London Boy. Bravo Taylor Swift and Prince William,” a royal fan wrote on X.
Another said, “I’m glad that the royals all look happy. Wonder what Harry thinks of this.”
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“You never saw Harry and Meghan get that close to Taylor Swift. Thanks for choosing the right side Taylor,” a third fan penned, with another asking, “Have you met Meghan and Harry yet?” with a smirk emoji.
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Taylor Swift And Prince William Have An 11-Year Friendship
Prince William’s appearance at Swift’s concert served as a reunion for the duo, who have reportedly been friends for over eleven years.
The pair first met in 2013 at a charity event, where they sang along with music legend Jon Bon Jovi to his iconic song, “Livin’ On A Prayer.”
At the Winter Whites Gala, held at Kensington Palace, Swift gave a speech, introducing herself: “I’m Taylor. It is very nice to meet you, especially under these circumstances.”
According to the Mirror, the singer added, “It is my first time playing at Kensington Palace or any other palace for that matter. I have to thank you, Prince William, for having me. It’s amazing. To call attention to this age group especially, teens and young adults.”
Swift later talked about her encounter with the prince, saying, “He was very funny. I was really happy he was funny.”
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Hollywood Friends ‘Dropping Like Flies’
The Swift and William selfie incident comes after a report that the Sussexes are losing their close friends in Hollywood.
Speaking to Closer magazine, Paul Burrell, a former butler to Harry’s late mother Princess Diana, said, “Harry and Meghan’s circle is getting smaller and smaller. I think the A-list stars are dropping like flies.”
He continued, “Some already have done – Oprah no longer seems involved with them and some other celebrities have also dropped them.”
Burrell further claimed that Harry and Meghan were once the “most popular couple” in America, but things have changed as some A-listers have allegedly snubbed them.
Hollywood Allegedly Feels The Sussexes Are The ‘Sideshow’ And Want The ‘Main Event’
In his chat with the publication, the former butler further shared that “back in the day, the A-listers were riding on the moment – Harry and Meghan were the most popular couple in the country at one time when they got married, but there’s since been a decline.
Burrell added that Americans “love the royal family” and are realizing that Harry and Meghan are a “sideshow” and not the “main event.”
According to the news outlet, several of their Hollywood pals have “turned down recent invites” from them, including Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, who reportedly snubbed an invitation to Archie’s fifth birthday party.