Prince William, for the first time, opened up about his famous on-stage duet with Taylor Swift.
The Duke of Cambridge remembered his impromptu duet with Taylor Swift, stating he “got up like a puppy” and followed her on stage to sing “Livin’ on a Prayer” beside Jon Bon Jovi.
Back in 2013, Prince William was led on-stage by Swift during the Winter Whites Gala In Aid Of Centrepoint charity event at Kensington Palace to sing along with Jon Bon Jovi for a performance of “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
The extemporaneous concert was labeled by William’s camp at the time as completely “off the cuff.” Fast forward eight years, William is enlightening about the memorable event in a special Christmas episode of Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk series. Want to watch other content on Apple TV outside USA? then check out our best Apple TV VPNs to stay up to date on your favorite episodes.
Prince William recollected the memory of sitting alongside Taylor Swift at the charity event. He states, “So, around about – it must be nearly 10 years ago now – 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 continues, “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 with 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,'” he further recalls.
“To this day, I still do not know what came over me. 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.’
“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,” he says. “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?” he added.
“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.’
“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 are paddling fast.”
William also admits that despite being a public figure and having experience talking in front of audiences, he wasn’t prepared to showcase his singing skills. Although Jennifer Lopez Looks Like a Blushing Bride While Performing Marry Me Song at the 2021 AMAs and looked very confident then why William couldn’t face the audience.
“Now, a lot of people might think that I’m comfortable on stage. When I do speeches and things like that, I’ve done so many now, they’re not a problem. But I’ve not done singing,” he says. “At times, when you’ve taken out of your comfort zone, you’ve got to roll with it.
“And I think we’ve gotten to the stage in this life where we do micromanage ourselves. We do worry about: how do we look on social media? Who said what about me? What am I wearing? There are so many pressures, but I think making a fool of yourself is okay.
“It’s okay to not take yourself too seriously and have those moments where you let go and you just go, ‘Do you know what? I’m okay with this.’
“So, yeah, go on and have a laugh. And don’t go and watch the video of me singing. Or do go and watch it, but just laugh to yourself about how I was feeling.”
William’s fans have something to say?
According to People, the upcoming episode of the Apple Fitness+ series “Time to Walk” will feature the Royal sharing secret details about his life as he strolls across Sandringham Estate. The series will premiere on December 6. Apple will stream the audio airing of the episode on Apple Music 1, the flagship global radio station on Apple Music, throughout the day for free.
Prince William contacted Apple to participate in the series as he was awe-struck with Time to Walk and how it resounded with his efforts to endorse better mental health and wellbeing. Prince William’s walk covers the route through the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, past St. Mary Magdalene Church, and eventually in Anmer, where William and his wife Kate Middleton own a country house.
The Instagram page of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also shared a post:
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Spotting the substantial impact of walking on mental health and the fact that the holidays can be challenging for many, William has picked three notable charities to amass a five-figure donation from Apple: Shout in the UK, Lifeline in Australia, and Crisis Text Line in the USA. Shout and Crisis Text Line offers free, round-the-clock confidential support for people in crisis via text. Whereas, Lifeline provides 24/7, free, confidential emergency support and suicide deterrence services.
