Prince William Says He Followed Taylor Swift 'Like a Puppy' to Sing a Duet at Charity Event

The two sang on stage with Jon Bon Jovi at a charity gala in 2013.

Even royalty isn't immune to the charms of Taylor Swift! During a talk for the new Time to Walk series on Apple Fitness+, Prince William recalls an iconic 2013 moment he shared with the "All Too Well" singer and Jon Bon Jovi. 

The 39-year-old Duke of Cambridge is featured in a Time to Walk episode, which promotes people taking the time to walk for their mental health over the holiday season. The episode benefits the charities Shout in the U.K., Crisis Text Line in America and Lifeline in Australia

For his walk, William goes around the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, ending at his home in Anmer Hall. During his stroll, the father of three remembers himself and Taylor both attending London's Winter Whites Gala, which went to aid the Centrepoint charity for young, homeless individuals. 

William and Taylor sat next to each other at the event after the prince had greeted many guests. "When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi do his performance, I thought, 'That's it. My job is done,'" he says, per multiple reports. "I'll get a dinner in a minute, and I might be able to have a chat to some people, and, you know, I'm off-duty a little bit now. Little did I think what was going to happen next."

Dave J Hogan/Centrepoint/Getty Images

However, after Bon Jovi finished his first song, William got quite the shock. 

"There's a pause, and [Taylor] turns to me. She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye, and says, 'Come on, William. Let's go and sing,'" he recollects. "To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I'm cringing at what happened next, and I don't understand why I gave in. 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. I'll follow you.'"

The second in line to the British throne describes himself as being "in a trance" heading up to the stage to sing Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer." 

"The Centrepoint young guys and girls were there, all loving it and cheering away. So I thought, 'Well, if they're enjoying it, then the night is for them. So sod it. I can't be the doofus who's going to ruin it for everyone,'" William says of guests at the event. "Beneath my black tie, there was a lot of sweating going on. I felt like a swan, where I was trying to keep myself composed on the outside, but inside, the little legs are paddling fast."

Ben Pruchnie/Centrepoint/Getty Images for Centrepoint
Dominic Lipinski/AFP via Getty Images

William adds that despite his experience giving speeches, he's not the most comfortable in the spotlight. 

"A lot of people might think that I'm comfortable on stage. When I do speeches and things like that, I've done so many now, they're not a problem. But I've not done singing," he admits. "At times, when you're taken out of your comfort zone, you've got to roll with it... It's OK to not take yourself too seriously and have those moments where you let go and you just go, 'Do you know what? I'm OK with this.'"

Apple will stream three special audio airings of the Time to Walk episode for free on Apple Music 1, the flagship global radio station on Apple Music.

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