Travis Kelce responds to Prince William after he tried to remove him from photo with Taylor Swift: “I was just her boyfriend”
The NFL star shared his reaction after learning the future king repeatedly tried to move him away from Taylor Swift and his children
A photograph that helped introduce Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as a couple to millions of fans almost looked very different, and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end believes Prince William had a perfectly reasonable explanation for wanting him out of the frame.
More than two years after the group posed together backstage at Wembley Stadium, William revealed that he had repeatedly tried to move Kelce aside while arranging a photograph with Swift and his children.
The Prince of Wales had attended Swift 's Eras Tour concert in June 2024 with Prince George and Princess Charlotte , celebrating his 42nd birthday with a visit behind the scenes.
What William didn't realize was that the resulting Instagram photograph would become the first picture Swift publicly shared featuring Kelce , giving their relationship a new level of visibility.
Discussing the revelation on Wednesday's episode of New Heights, Kelce acknowledged that his presence might have complicated what William intended to be a family keepsake.
William had revealed the amusing misunderstanding during an October 23 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, admitting he was unaware of the significance surrounding Swift and Kelce 's relationship.
"I wasn't until recently. I hadn't appreciated the significance, and actually, I was trying to move him out of the photo," William said.
"But Travis kept coming back in, and I couldn't work out why he kept coming back in."
The prince explained that he simply wanted a photograph of himself, Swift and his two children, unaware that Kelce 's inclusion would make the image particularly memorable.
Kelce responded with amusement rather than taking offense, suggesting William had every reason to question whether a relatively new boyfriend belonged in the picture.
"I get it, man. I think we all get it," Kelce said. "I was just a boyfriend at that point. You know? I wasn't her husband yet. You know? 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."
Jason Kelce suggests solution
Kelce 's older brother and podcast co-host, Jason Kelce , also found William's reasoning understandable.
The former Philadelphia Eagles center suggested having the podcast's graphics department edit Travis out of the original photograph, giving the prince the picture he had wanted.
Travis immediately embraced the idea and joked about sending the altered image directly to the royal residence.
"I gotta ship that to him. Just send it to Buckingham Palace. You think it'll get to him?" he said.
Prince William's connection with Swift and Kelce
The photograph has taken on greater significance since Swift and Kelce married at Madison Square Garden on July 3, 2026, following their engagement in August 2025.
William has also developed a friendly connection with the NFL star, appearing as a surprise guest on New Heights in a prerecorded episode released shortly before the wedding.
His association with Swift stretches back even further, including their memorable performance alongside Jon Bon Jovi at a charity event in 2013.
Kelce made clear that he appreciated the prince's sense of humor, offering a friendly response to the original confession. "Shout out to Prince William, man," he said.
The exchange has given a new twist to a photograph that was already memorable for Swift 's fans, revealing how close one of the couple's earliest public relationship milestones came to looking entirely different.
