Travis Kelce responds after Prince William admits trying to ‘move him out’ of Taylor Swift selfie
The Kansas City Chiefs star has joked about the Prince of Wales’s attempts to exclude him from a backstage photograph at Wembley Stadium, revealing why he understands the royal’s thinking during a light-hearted exchange on the New Heights podcast.
Travis Kelce has laughed off Prince William’s confession he tried to push him out of a now-famous photograph with Taylor Swift – joking the future king had no way of knowing whether their relationship would last.
The Kansas City Chiefs star, 37, responded to the Prince of Wales, 44, during Wednesday’s (28.10.26) episode of his New Heights podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, 38.
William had revealed during his recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show he attempted to move Travis out of a backstage selfie with Taylor, 36, and his children, Prince George, 13, and Princess Charlotte, 11, during the singer’s Eras Tour concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in June 2024.
Travis has now said: “I get it, man. I think we all get it.”
He added: “I was just a boyfriend at that point. You know? I wasn’t her husband yet.”
The American football player suggested William may have wanted a photograph that would remain a family keepsake regardless of what happened to the couple’s relationship.
Travis said: “We don’t really know if this is gonna last, so it’s kinda just move out of the way real quick so we can keep this photo forever.”
He continued: “Yeah. Hopefully, this doesn’t go south. Otherwise, this photo is not gonna be as good.”
Jason agreed with his younger brother, describing William’s explanation as “very understandable”.
The former Philadelphia Eagles player then joked the podcast’s graphics team could remove Travis from the original picture, leaving Taylor posing alongside William and his children.
Travis offered to send the edited version to the royal family.
He said: “I gotta ship that to him. Just send it to Buckingham Palace. You think it’ll get to him?”
The exchange followed William’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show last week, when he recalled meeting Taylor and Travis backstage at Wembley.
William said: “I was trying to move him out of the photo. Travis kept coming back in, and I couldn’t work out why he kept coming back in.”
He added: “I was trying to move him out so it was just me and Taylor and the children!”
The picture marked the first time Taylor had shared a photograph of herself with Travis on Instagram, confirming their relationship publicly on her social media account.
Taylor posted the image to celebrate the beginning of her London concerts and William’s birthday, with the photograph quickly attracting attention from fans of the singer and the royal family.
The singer and NFL star began dating in 2023, after Travis revealed on New Heights that he had hoped to give Taylor a friendship bracelet containing his telephone number during an Eras Tour concert.
Their relationship subsequently became a regular feature of NFL broadcasts, with Taylor attending Kansas City Chiefs games and supporting Travis during the team's Super Bowl appearances.
The couple announced their engagement in August 2025 before marrying on 3 July 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Their wedding was officiated by actor and comedian Adam Sandler, 60, who previously appeared alongside Travis in Happy Gilmore 2.
Jason served as best man, while Taylor’s brother Austin Swift, 34, was her man of honour.
Singer Stevie Nicks, 78, performed during the celebrations, which were attended by figures from the entertainment and sporting worlds.
William’s relationship with Taylor predates her romance with Travis by more than a decade.
The prince joined Taylor and Jon Bon Jovi, 64, on stage at a charity fundraising event at Kensington Palace in 2013, where they performed Livin’ on a Prayer.
During the 2024 Wembley concert, William was also filmed dancing to Taylor’s hit Shake It Off while celebrating his birthday with George and Charlotte.
His wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, and their youngest son, Prince Louis, eight, did not attend the concert.
William later appeared as a surprise guest on New Heights in July 2026, with the pre-recorded episode released on the same day as Taylor and Travis’s wedding.
During that conversation, the prince discussed his love of football and his support for Aston Villa, while the brothers recalled meeting him during the Eras Tour.
Travis described the encounter as one of the most memorable experiences of his life.
The NFL player also made clear during Wednesday’s podcast he was not offended by William’s recent comments.
Travis said: “Shout out to Prince William, man.”
