On last week’s New Heights podcast, Jason and Travis Kelce’s conversation turned to royalty, given they were (at the time) both in Europe. They were in the South of France, and then Jason joined Travis at an Eras concert in London. Jason Kelce is like most red-blooded Americans, in that his gut-level feeling on royalty is “whatever, I’m not bowing to anyone.” Jason actually said: “Listen, we’re Americans. We don’t do royalty. F–k kings.” A few days later, Travis Kelce met Prince William backstage before Taylor’s Friday concert. Trav didn’t listen to what his brother said about not doing royalty. This is what Travis had to say about meeting the heir to British throne:
Travis Kelce got the royal treatment at girlfriend Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour in London on Friday, June 21 — and he’s spilling all the tea about meeting Prince William.
“Dude, he was the coolest motherf–ker,” Travis, 34, said on his and brother Jason Kelce‘s “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday, June 26. “He was so cool!”
“I didn’t realize this because obviously we’re backstage meeting him because he was there with little George and Charlotte, and they were an absolute delight to meet,” Travis continued.
However, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end admitted to being unsure about royal protocol.
“Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to like bow to them, curtsy, just be an American idiot and shake their hand,” he said.
Jason, 36, then explained that he and his brother “did get [a] warning” about how to greet the royals. “But they said that because we weren’t at like an official royal event, we didn’t need to bow or curtsy. If it would have been like an official meeting of royalty event, then it would have been that. But I did still address him as Your Royal Highness,” Jason said.
Travis concluded that William was “very genuine, very cool.”
LOL. Well, there’s your answer about whether Taylor Swift is Team Windsor. Her boyfriend is all about embiggening royals. As for royal protocol, it’s genuinely confusing to many Americans and it is different if you’re actually meeting the king or queen. Like, if Travis had been invited to Buckingham Palace, he would have gotten a protocol sheet or a briefing about how to address people and what to do. When you’re just meeting a prince backstage at a concert, it’s fine to do whatever. Americans are not “expected” to bow or whatever. This isn’t a state visit. Shaking hands is fine and even if it’s not fine, f–k kings, we’re Americans. Also: all of Travis’s sucking up and Kensington Palace still didn’t include him in the photo they posted on social media.
Thank you @taylorswift13 for a great evening! #LondonTSTheErastour pic.twitter.com/NFSi8hAl1o
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 22, 2024
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.