By D.W.G. Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes News
A Royal Selfie to Remember
Taylor Swift created a picture perfect moment ahead of her performance at Wembley Stadium by posing for a selfie with the Prince of Wales, Prince William, and his two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The royal trio met the pop superstar backstage before her concert on Friday night, a moment shared by Kensington Palace on X (formerly Twitter). The post, featuring the smiling group, was captioned, "Thank you Taylor Swift for a great evening!"
For Prince William, this concert was a chance to score major dad points on his 42nd birthday, treating his children to the highly anticipated show. His busy week also included attending England's Euro 2024 match against Denmark in Germany the previous evening.
Taylor Swift further shared a selfie on her social media, this time including her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, alongside Prince William and his children. Her caption read, "Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start." Videos circulating online later showed Prince William dancing to Swift's hit song "Shake It Off."
Catherine, Princess of Wales, remained at home with their youngest child, six year old Prince Louis. Nonetheless, Prince Louis was part of an official birthday photograph released earlier on Friday to celebrate William's birthday.
Swift’s Eras Tour Takes Over the UK
Taylor Swift's Wembley performance is part of her extensive Eras Tour across the UK, with previous shows in Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Cardiff. The tour takes fans through her impressive catalog of hits from albums such as "1989," "Red," and "Midnights." On Friday, nearly 90,000 fans filled Wembley Stadium, many of whom had queued since before dawn to secure their spots.
The concert marked the first of Swift’s eight shows at Wembley, scheduled between this week and August. The star studded audience on Friday included notable figures like Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness, and model Cara Delevingne. Swift’s parents, Andrea and Scott, were also in attendance, supporting their daughter’s dazzling performance. Reflecting on her connection to the city, Swift called London, where she spent a part of her early career, "the most exhilarating city in the world."