Prince William admitted that he followed Taylor Swift’s orders to him onto the stage in an unplanned performance with Jon Bon Jovi.
Recalling a fundraising gala in November 2013 for the homeless charity Centrepoint, a cause first championed by his late mother Princess Diana, the 39-year-old chuckles and says: ‘I can’t believe I’m actually telling you this story… I turn up and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet.
“And then I went in, met everyone, some handshaking for those nights and lots of chatting. My goal is to be friendly and inter-active.
“Occasionally you don’t have a great day and that’s harder to find.
Jon Bon Jonovi performed his song and I was elated. I’m done with my job. “I’ll be getting a meal in about a minute and maybe I can have a talk to some people. But, as you all know, I am off-duty for a while.” ‘
But things didn’t go as expected.
He says, “Little did you know what was about to come next,” he continues. “I’m sitting 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.
Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform live onstage at Centrepoint Gala Dinner, Kensington Palace on November 26th, 2013 in London.
“Come on William, she puts her hand on mine, and then looks in my eyes. Let’s get out there and sing.
“To this day I don’t know why it happened to me. Truly, I am still cringing over what I did next and can’t quite understand why.
‘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. You can follow me.”
“I came up to the stage in a stupor and then, halfway through Jon Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer song I got up.
“And then I thought to myself, Am I singing on the stage Livin’ On a Prayer while I don’t even understand the words?”
“But Centrepoint’s young girls and boys were there. They loved it all and cheered away.
“Well, if they enjoy it, then that night is theirs. I’m okay with it. It’s not my place to be the idiot who will ruin it all for everybody.
“So I struggle to recall some words, and I sing as hard and as fast as I can.
“Under my black tie, there were a lot sweating. The inside of me felt like a swan. While I tried my best to remain calm, I could feel the legs moving fast.
“Now, some people may think that I am comfortable on the stage. It’s not an issue when I give speeches or other similar presentations. However, I have not tried singing.
William’s appearance on stage –just four months after he had become a father for the first time – drew comparisons to the event in 1978 when Prince Charles celebrated his 30th birthday by dancing on stage with The Three Degrees.
STAND QUALITY: William Swift and Miss Swift, after they were numbered at the Centrepoint gala 2013
However, it becomes apparent quickly that William does not want to be associated with celebrity.
“You have to be open-minded when things happen that are not in your normal routine,” he said.
“And now, I feel we are at the stage where we micromanage our own lives.
“We are concerned about the following: How do we use social media?”
“Who said this about me?” Was it the clothes I wore? Although there are so many pressures on us, I believe that it is okay to make a fool out of ourselves.
You can take things too seriously. It is OK to let your guard down and allow yourself to be relaxed. This is fine with me. ‘
William has served as Centrepoint’s Patron since 2005. However, Ms Swift is 31 years old and has sold more records than 200,000,000 worldwide. She has also been in a relationship with Joe Alwyn.
Interview with The Mail, Sunday after the event. She stated that she could hear him’s voice. A nice tone. It’s clear that he is a star and I will sing again with him if necessary.