When Prince William Sparked a Feud Between Meghan Markle and Taylor Swift

Rumor has it Prince William may have unintentionally fueled tensions between Meghan Markle and pop superstar, Taylor Swift. The controversy began when the Prince of Wales shared a selfie on Instagram, featuring himself, Taylor Swift, and his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Taken backstage at Swift’s Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium on William’s birthday, the joyful snap set the internet ablaze. However, there’s more to this seemingly innocent moment than what meets the eye.

As per The List, while the selfie brought smiles to many royal fans, it reportedly ruffled feathers with Markle. According to insiders, Markle wasn’t thrilled with the snap, and her displeasure stems from a previous interaction— or lack thereof — with Swift. Markle had personally invited Swift to appear on her now-canceled Archetypes podcast, but Swift declined through her representative. The rejection, coupled with Prince William’s public camaraderie with Swift, allegedly left Markle feeling undermined.

A source revealed at the time, "It's certainly rubbing salt into the wound." Given Markle and Prince Harry’s strained relationships within their celebrity circles including rumors of fallout with the Beckhams and Clooneys— Swift’s closeness to William appears to have struck a particularly sour note for the Sussexes. Swift’s global fame makes the perceived snub all the more impactful, especially since Markle and Harry have worked to cultivate connections with high-profile figures in their post-royal life.

William and Swift's friendship dates back to 2013 when they performed together with Jon Bon Jovi at a charity event. That viral moment, which saw Swift pulling William onstage to sing Livin’ on a Prayer, solidified their bond. An insider shared, "She literally grabbed him by the arm and ran up on stage and they both knew the words and sang along." Swift shared her excitement about the Wembley concert on her social media, posting a group picture with William, the royal children, and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce.

According to the Mirror, Swift’s closeness to William has nudged speculation that the pop star is choosing sides in the ongoing rift between the royal brothers. Markle’s podcast ran for a year and was ultimately removed from Spotify. Subsequently, Markle teamed up with the podcast network Lemonada. She remarked, "I'm proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting. Being able to support a female-founded company with a roster of thought-provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast, is well in the works. I'm so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family."