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.
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- Cannes, FRANCE – NFL’ Kansas City Chief’s and Taylor Swift’s beau Travis Kelce with his brother Jason Kelce at the Cannes Lions Festival. Pictured: Travis Kelce BACKGRID USA 20 JUNE 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: Newspress / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Cannes, FRANCE – NFL’ Kansas City Chief’s and Taylor Swift’s beau Travis Kelce with his brother Jason Kelce at the Cannes Lions Festival. Pictured: Travis Kelce BACKGRID USA 20 JUNE 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: Newspress / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
This is ridiculous
He wants to be sir Travis. Will must like this flattery a lot.
Eh, I don’t think is taking-sides-coded at all. I think neither Kelce brother pays any attention to royal gossip and thus like normal humans, they don’t assume being polite to one celebrity (Will) and even expressing a little star-struck-ness (“he’s so cool!”) actually means anything negative about other celebrities (ie H&M).
I think it’s only the derangers who think if you compliment W or K that means you hate H and M.
(Which, frankly, says a lot about what even W&K’s supporters think of W&K themselves: any compliments given to them aren’t really about W&K being worthy of a compliment, but actually about sticking it to H&M. How sad, actually!)
But yeah, I think this is just Jason and Travis continuing to glad-hand celebs in service of Taylor and her work: during the concert and here in the post-concert analysis. I don’t think it’s some big taking-sides thing.
I don’t think anyone who doesn’t follow royal gossip really thinks it’s a zero sum game between all these royal family rivalries and if you like one you hate the other – it’s just KP and the Derangers that buy into that.
i agree, DK. Most Americans don’t pay attention to this royals nonsense at all and we just think of them as celebrities, and definitely have little insight into what an incompetent, angry human Will is (when he isn’t happy from fulfilling his greatest wish, hanging out around celebs). I would not interpret this as taking a side by any stretch.
Especially ridiculous is believing that the only reason they didn’t “need” to bow or curtsy because they weren’t “like at an official royal event.” Maybe Harry needed to have Meghan curtsy to the queen, because of his position in the family, but that rule has been relaxed for others for a long time, regardless of whether they’re “like at an official royal event.”
According to the royal.uk website, (not updated since Betty was alive), “There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms” i.e. a bow or curtsy. “Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.”
Right? Not that I’d ever be at a state dinner but if I was, I sure as anything wouldn’t be bowing or curtseying or even wondering if I should. Lordy. Hereditary rule is not cool. Shaking hands and smiling should be enough.
Thank you, on so many levels 🤭
And there we go. Of course that’s the take.
If you think he’s given any more thought to his comments then – how cool that we got to meet someone important, and they were pretty ‘normal’, and we didn’t know the protocols… seriously. I thought it was kind of sweet that they focused on Charlotte.
And as for turning down Meghan’s podcast being a signal Taylor picked sides… when was the last time Taylor did a sit-down interview or appeared on a podcast? She just doesn’t anymore… unless it’s on the level of Time Person of the Year.
I think the average person who doesn’t read this site would probably say the same thing – all most know is what they’re shown in popular media – it’s the fairy tale KWIM? I wouldn’t hold it against anyone to accept the common opinion that Will is still the boy who his mother loved so much, and still the boy who walked in such profound grief with his brother and father behind his mums casket. They don’t know how he matured.
So he knows PW is “so cool” from a very brief meeting because William was late? And he was actually going to bow down to the tool if told to?
So now we judge people for respecting other cultures? Like to me this just reinforces Travis is a good guy because he wants to be respectful.
You can respect other cultures without kowtowing. So now we judge other people for questioning mindless “respect”?
I truly think you’re overthinking this, and overestimating how much people think about this. They were meeting royals it’s a thought that came in their heads because every time we see people meet royals on tv they bow so it’s a logical question. The vast majority of people don’t live in royal blog comment sections. I mean I visit this site and I can’t tell you a thing about the royals because I won’t click on the articles because I don’t care. So do you truly think someone as busy as Travis is invested in the royal family? Come on.
You shouldn’t go to an East Asian country then🙄
@bruhaha so because I’m respectful of the culture I’m in I shouldn’t visit a country? How does that make sense. Seems like the people who feel they can go to a place and not show respect should not go.
Bowing does NOT show respect to another culture in this case. It’s a way to reinforce and give credence to the idea that royals are somehow superior or annointed by God. Blech.
Agree with it or not, it is a part of British culture. And many other cultures as well. Morocco. Japan. Jordan. etc
it’s their country, their history, their way of doing things. Something about Americans always needing to force their ways onto others …..
Huh? American not wanting to bow to royalty means they’re forcing their ways on others? And I’m pretty sure they don’t have to anyways so the point is moot.
And again @jais you seem to be missing the overall point that he just asked because he was t freaking sure! Because he knows nothing about the freaking family. As you can see from the comments most people assume your suppose to because every time we see them on tv (most normal people’s interaction with the royals as most Americans don’t give a fig) leaders and people bow. So him asking his just showing that he we a person wants to be RESPECTFUL. And that shows character, whether that is actually something people have to do isn’t relevant. In no way shape or form is it a negative thing for Travis to want to make sure he is being respectful.
@Lisa, I read @Bruhaha’s comment (about not visiting east Asian countries) as being directed to @Equality, not you.
While I agree that it’s NBD for someone who isn’t part of the culture to bow in Asian countries and it’s just respectful (having lived in Japan and spent several months in Korea, and just returned from a 3 month visit to Japan, I bow as habit to strangers on the street in the US as well), I think it does get a little tricky with royalty, since the bowing is just one-way, to one specific group of people, and thus a sign of respect only going one way.
While in Japan and Korea, there can still be hierarchy in bows (juniors bowing more deeply to their seniors/superiors, etc.) and context-specific bows (an apology bow will look different from a “hello” bow, etc.), etc., bows still demonstrate a sense of mutual respect and reciprocity, even as inequalities in the relationship may also be acknowledged within the bow, depending on context.
But it’s not like bowing is part of British culture more broadly: this isn’t how most Brits greet each other. It’s specifically subjects demonstrating respect for and loyalty towards royals, and isn’t reciprocated in the same manner by the royals: they receive the bows/curtsies but don’t usually return them (unless I’m entirely wrong? The King/Queen don’t bow/curtsy back, right?)
So…I think if non-subjects want to bow/curtsy to British royalty because they consider it merely a sign of (mutual?) respect or traditional custom, that’s fine, yet if they don’t want to because they see it as a role for subjects acknowledging a sovereign who is not theirs (and they are not that person’s subject), that’s fine too and not “imposing American ways” on anyone.
What’s interesting to me is that in the photos I’ve seen, I’ve only seen Will shaking hands with the Japanese delegation. I’m totally curious how that came to be (since hand-shaking is not traditional in Japan and is usually an accommodation made for greeting westerners, and since bowing is the more traditional royal greeting in the UK as exhibited by everyone insisting bowing with regards to the BRF is the way to go, why did they settle on a handshake as the right move?)
And more interestingly (to me): DID Will bow to the Emperor and Empress? Was it British-style or Japanese-style? If Japanese-style, how deep was the bow? What level of respect did Will, who is NOT (yet) the sovereign of his country show to the sovereign of another country, and Will’s guest to boot? Surely W’s ranking should be below that of the emperor and empress in this situation, even though they are on his turf (and even though he is a big boy global statesman)?
So that’s what I’m most curious about: can the BRF themselves bow down to others when culture, tradition and custom suggest they should, just as they tend to expect others to do for them?
I didn’t say it was negative to ask. Seth Rogen asked the same thing when he was meeting Harry and Meghan at the Lion King premiere in London. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. But I disagreed with the comment that says Americans are forcing their ways on others if they don’t want to bow to royalty. I do think that can be a choice. I don’t think there’s a protocol that one has to. So it wouldn’t be disrespectful. I’d imagine there are some Brits who may not want to bow either?
@DK – this bit of “knowledge” is from media and not learned history but in Jane Austen film adaptations people regularly bow and curtsy to each other – much like in Japan. If various royalty and the like would bow or curtsy in return to there subjects it would not be a bad thing in my opinion but it would ‘raise’ the royal because it would show grace and that they respect those they reign over.
@DK 🎯
I don’t have trouble bowing as a form of greeting like in some countries. I have issues with it as a sign of subservience to colonizers. Comparing bowing to a monarch to greeting someone with a bow is invalid.
Willie probably still uses his same ol banter to charm the peasants, he probably bonded with travis a few minutes on sports and made himself xtra nice so he has a chance of getting taylor in his what’s it called again? Oh yeah, earthsht. But Taylor wont: she’s guilty af for overusing her private planes etc etc etc
You can follow Prince Harry’s lead when meeting a UK royal in the US. Harry never expects any Americans to bow to him because the UK monarchy is not a thing in the US
He probably just didn’t want to accidentally embarrass his girlfriend and generate negative headlines by breaking some protocol. The Kelce brothers don’t strike me as guys that would actually care about royal protocol.
Travis seems to like everybody lol. Willy was probably enamored with Taylor so of course he’s going to like the guy. I don’t think he knows much about the Royal Family otherwise.
Yeah it goes back to the Golden Retriever boyfriend thing. I bet he knows next to nothing about the royals other than William being the prince.
Most Americans don’t know what a Windsor even is or care about the royal family.
The vast majority of Americans don’t know or care. I truly doubt any of the people in that room know anything or have strong opinions on it.
Right? I think this is just Travis’ take on everyone, especially when he knows he will be quoted. He’s a lunatic playing football, but he has media training and knows how to talk without saying anything at all.
What do people here expect Travis to say about meeting William? He’s not going to trash him if William was nice and polite to him. I doubt he cares or knows much about the royal family like most Americans.
This I can see. I’m sure he would say meeting Tom Cruise is the coolest as well, even though he’s had unsavory press.
Yes. Travis and Taylor would just as easily want to take a selfie with the Sussexes, too. Taylor would surely desire to take a group pic with any top flight celeb, V.I.P., or royal person who stopped backstage at a concert to meet and greet her. No biggie.
Few public people who ‘have no skin in the game,’ (i.e., nothing at stake and no allegiances one way or the other) are gonna get into overtly ‘taking sides’ in this gossip-laden, clickbait ‘War of the Windsors.’ Furthermore, when it comes to Willy and the left-behinds, the ridiculous ‘competition’ with H&M is all one-sided!
Yes, Travis likes everyone. He’ll cheerlead for opposing team players, even ones who have powerbombed him. He rarely ever has beefs.
Interesting: Phoebe Waller & Andrew Scott were dancing up a storm in the VIP tent, Fleabag and the Hot Priest. Phoebe is fine, Andrew Scott is very good friends with Joe Alwyn. Maybe Taylor will have less beefs while she’s with Travis.
I don’t think her and Joe ended badly I think they just fell apart from not being compatible.
Prince William is not the king. People don’t have to bow to him. Travis is not a British subject so no, he does not have bow/curtsie to William.
Do even British people have to bow or curtsey to the Royals? I am guessing a lot more Brits do it to the Monarch just out of respect.
No, they do not.
Yes, but I won’t lie. The image in my head of Travis and Jason curtseying does make me giggle like a little kid.
I listened to the podcast today and it was genuinely lol funny a lot. And Travis repeatedly talking about curtsying was one of them. He sounded like he was going to curtsy instead of bow 😂
LOL! I cosign what others have said about Travis Kelce, in this instance, wanting to be pleasant and actually being fairly ignorant of current royal family beefs and rivalries. I would bet Travis has not read Harry’s book and has no plans to. Travis strikes me as an affable dork. 😜
In any case, guys do NOT curtsey, not even British males! They bow their heads out of respect. Or, during ceremonial occasions, like the coronation, the male dukes kneel/ genuflect, swear a vow of eternal allegiance and loyalty, and kiss the monarch’s beringed hand. In certain instances, (Phil to Betty; Will to Chuck), they kiss the monarch’s cheek during these antiquated rituals.
As someone else mentioned above, today there are no strict protocol requirements when meeting royalty, especially in informal settings, as long as due respect and minimal deference is shown. For non-Britishers, there is certainly no requirement to bow or curtsey. That’s left to individual preference. The royal website offers this advisement:
“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The King or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy.”
@Aftershocks, you are 100% right Travis and Jason have not read Spare. Travis doesn’t read books period, though he esteems people who do. He’s honest about it. He doesn’t feel like he measures up to his brother who was always an honor student and does things like the NYT crossword puzzles.
Those of us who ,back in the day ,had a position that required a public face, know that what you diplomatically need to say for public consumption is not necessarily your private feelings. I wouldn’t put much faith in what I hear in this case.
This.
Also I highly doubt he’s aware of Willy’s bad rep. He’s just being nice and diplomatic, it’s not as though they went out for beers afterwards.
I agree with this. I also think Taylor is meticulous and she knows what posing with them and then posting about it does.
I didn’t listen to the podcast but People has an article up about this, however, the focus is on Charlotte. Both hosts spend time talking about how delighted they were with her, calling her a “superstar”, “adorable” and praising how she asked interesting questions. They also praise parents raising their kids in that way. Their comments about William sounded more like they couldn’t just gush over Charlotte, they had to say something about her dad. Poor George got a “he’s great too”
I Heard the same thing.. Charlotte exudes something that her brothers don’t.. I think she will be the STAR in the family.. like Harry.
I’m not sure he can be Team Windsor when he would have no idea what you are talking about if you said the word Windsor to him. That’s kind of the reality of how irrelevant the Windsors are to the average American.
exactly! Kind of annoyed with this line of thinking – that Taylor is Team Windsor vs Team Sussex. She is in London and the Royal Family (with the kids!) is attending and requesting a meet and greet before the show. Of course she’s going to say yes. She also has a bit of history with William. This isn’t about showing which “side” you’re on. It’s just smart business. When in Rome…
And Travis is even less likely to care or be aware of this rivalry. He just doesn’t want to make an ass of himself.
I agree.
Nice people being nice in a public moment. Thats my read.
Travis seems like he is like that.
Yeah, we always talk about how irrelevant the BRF really is, but suddenly we’re assuming that Travis knows and cares about all their family drama? Nah. He could’ve toned down his praise a bit, but I think he’s probably like this when he meets any famous person, and William was probably on his best behavior.
I bet you Travis couldn’t have picked William out of a lineup the day before.
@CatMum Well, if you had Edward in the lineup with PW, he might have trouble. And maybe cousin Freddie.
Very much this.
I get it. Some of you are team sex tape. Taylor bad.
Kardashian good.
Huh? I’m thinking some of us are just not fans of William. Or the British monarchy. Or bowing down to the British monarchy. Jason’s f*ck kings energy was cool. Pretty sure anyone who says William is so cool would get an eye roll. Why are you turning that into meaning we think Kim is good and are on team sex-tape. That’s juvenile AF.
I’m team neither. I can’t stand either. Both ladies are over-the-top ridiculous to me.
I’m lost. How does Kim come into this conversation?
Both women are rich white and entitled. What does that have to do with Travis being hyped about meeting a prince?
Julie, I honestly don’t think about Taylor, except when she urges her fan base to vote. She also said in 2020 that she was voting for Biden. I hope she does that again this year. That’s it. I don’t think about the Kardashians, but when they come up I don’t have positive feelings for them. I don’t know where your comment came from, but it’s interesting if untrue.
Somewhere in Windsor Prince William is shadow-boxing in front of a mirror shouting, “He likes me! Travis Kelce really likes me!!”
😂
“Who’s the cool brother NOW?”
LOL
William probably doesn’t even know who Travis Kelce is
L84T. You brought me great joy with that comment. I’m going to imagine that every time I see a picture of the deviled egg. Thank you for the laugh.
Yeah. William finally got his NFL “Prince Freakin’ Harry!” moment. Almost, LOL! He can now check that off his list.
Travis sounds like a nice guy who didn’t want to be rude in the moment. I seriously doubt that he’s a royal follower, and he’s a celebrity so William probably exerted himself.
Are we copying the British Media now? Team Windsor or Team Sussex?
This clip sounds like the glad-handing needed to do these events. Travis just seems affable and charming by default, and not wanting to do anything that would make Taylor look bad at her work event. He sounds like this talking about lots of people.
I would LOL if he curtsied though, just picturing it. Like Mr Collins to Lady Catherine de Bourg awkward, only he’s gigantic. hahaha
Urgh this PR relationship annoys me
Well at least they deserve each other, LOL.
Travis is cleaning up what Jason said.
Travis Taylor and Jason are Americans who happen to be very busy and have lives. I doubt they have an opinion on how the British people should structure their government and their diplomats, which is all the royal family is our diplomats. They have no power. They have no ability to impact the world, especially Americans world, so why would any American care about them other than they put on fun weddings and interesting little hats every once in a while, I understand the care about structure cost money or generates the money if their government they should care but I try to act like Taylor or Travis or any American gives the flying fig and his actively campaigning for one side makes no sense because it doesn’t matter to us. Travis based his opinion on his interaction with the man which is what most people do when they meet people they judge them on their interaction. I truly doubt any of the people that room know any of the gossip I’m also willing to bet Taylor Swift having Ben in the tabloids doesn’t believe a single thing written about any member of the royal family because she knows what it’s like, so not sure why this is an issue he’s not going to William was polite and different than he anticipated. Someone who was a prince to behave also also just most Americans truly don’t care what the British do with their royal family all they care about is their weddings and when they put on the silly little hats, it’s none of our business .
I knew Travis was a dumb dumb but my god is he lame AF as well with this. No one with good sense would be calling the rage monster huevo “cool” especially because he acts so patently uncool around celebrities as well.
What should he have said otherwise? Criticizing William in any way would attract hordes of negative press to Taylor, which I guarantee Travis does not want to do. I do not think Travis is dumb. This is savvy.
Seconded, Abby.
Travis was being genuine in the moment and probably also cleaning up what his brother said earlier. Travis seems like a nice guy who is a people person.
Maybe he could have toned it down a bit and said: “It was nice to meet Prince William”. I agree with poster above he tried to hard to clean up Jason’s sincerity.
Unless they actively royal watch, I’m not sure the average American would know much about William, let alone anything about his anger issues. Remember, we know a lot here but I certainly wouldn’t expect everyone to have this niche (for America) interest.
I don’t think Travis reads much…this time Taylor went for nice, fun, and supportive of her career instead of brainy.
What else is Travis supposed to say? “Man, that motherf–ker’s so bald, what a tool, why can’t he fix his teeth?” Is he supposed to be all “Murican” and embarrass Taylor in front of the whole world? And maybe it is kind of cool to meet a prince in person, even if that prince is William – that doesn’t make him a monarchist.
I don’t think it makes him a monarchist. It’s more just a giant cringe when I hear anyone saying William is the coolest mother f*cker😂. That he’s so cool and genuine. I’m sorry but it’s making me both laugh and cringe at the same time. But no I wouldn’t expect Travis to trash William. But I think just a “he was cool” would suffice. No need for a mother f*cking cool. But I’d imagine William was genuinely hyped to meet him and Taylor. And the kids definitely were so no need to say anything negative. Not sure I’d be as hype as Travis though😂
Yeah. He could have toned it down several notches and just said it was a pleasure to meet him.
But Travis is a hype sort of guy. That’s his personality. Why should he tone it down just because we don’t like William?
As for William himself, sure he’s a rage monster when it comes to H&M and seems a generally useless PoW, but maybe, just maybe he can be cool and genuine when he’s doing something he actually wants to do. In this case, he looked like he was having fun, his kids were having fun, they got to meet Taylor and her semi-famous boyfriend. And as for Tyler, we can’t be insisting that Americans don’t care about royal gossip and then think Tyler should know all about William’s beef with Harry, or that he’s a rotten husband and future king, etc. It was just a meeting backstage, that’s all.
Taylor seems like the type of person who follows her press and SM rep. Or, at the least, I bet she has people who do. If she had never been mentioned before in relation to the royals, I would believe her ignorant of the entire drama. She has been used to denigrate Meghan in the past though (supposedly turning down a podcast) and, I would bet, is aware of that story in the tabloids.
@Eurydice: “… but maybe, just maybe he can be cool and genuine when he’s doing something he actually wants to do.”
LOL! From our knowledge of Billy Idle’s rotten, petty character: Ewww! Even though Wills was seemingly rather charming and hunky-looking in his late teens and very briefly in his early 20s, so much of the fawning adoration of him in those years was due to love for Diana being blindly transferred to him after her death. Since Willy was overly coddled, plus he never got help dealing with his grief and unresolved relationship with his mother, it did him absolutely no favors to also be undeservingly adored by the masses.
Currently, Willy has no real sense of self or comfort in his own skin. It’s all about appearances, p.r., and entitlement. I’m sure he enjoys leisure time at concerts and football games. He’s always loved being associated with big-time celebs, VIPs and dignitaries. So sure, he can schmooze in casual public situations. So what! 🙄 It doesn’t make him any less of a thin-skinned rage monster bts in real life.
No way does this overly effusive ‘doffing of the cap’ by dorky, affable Travis Kelce, mean that Willy “is cool and genuine when he’s [having fun].” My guess is that Willy is as insincere, awkward, and prone to mistatements and unfunny jokes as we have witnessed him being on any number of public occasions.
@aftershocks – it’s funny how upset people get here at the thought that William might be only 98% Satan. I already said he was a rage monster and he was generally useless. My only point is that William might genuinely enjoy certain leisure activities (which you acknowledge) and that a foreigner meeting him briefly for the first time during one of those activities might think that he’s cool. There is no “so what?” We’re just talking about this one particular instance, not William’s whole life.
Ughh, and I was kind of liking this boyfriend.. time for the breakup.🤷🏻♀️
There are no teams here. Taylor and Travis are famous people who are taking pictures with other famous people and saying polite things about them for the media. None of these people really know each other — they talked backstage for *maybe* five minutes.
Americans are not required to bow to the royals. So it wouldn’t have mattered where they met. But Taylor made sure to give Travis the talking points for his podcast.
even the british are not required to bow! that was done away with quite some time ago. some people do it anyway, but nobody has to. well, except probably Meghan.
I think it’s a stretch to say Travis is “all about” anything to do with the Windsors.
As we’ve noted, Travis is a golden retriever. He was excited to meet a future King, many people who don’t read Celebitchy would be. Maybe he expected William to be stuffy and rude and was pleasantly surprised when he wasn’t. I can virtually guarantee he knows next to nothing about the whole situation with the Sussex’s.
That’s certainly what I got from the comments
I do not think Travis is Team Windsor. He is media savvy and gracious in his killatrav way.
Okay. I’m officially cancelling Travis Kelce. Also, it’s all kinds of gross for an American to even be thinking of bowing to “royalty”. Sheesh! No effing way.
Did anyone else see the article where Travis said that he would go to the White House no matter who is in power? That made me wonder about his politics.
Travis follows a few MAGA/conservative personalities on Instagram, so that should give you a big hint. And personally, I find that more way egregious than anything he would say about PW.
The only 2 I could find were Sage Steele, an ex-ESPN reporter so there’s obviously a connection there and Bret Baier who is pretty tame in regards to Fox News.
One could argue the Pfizer commercial and kneeling for the American anthem say just as much.
Wow really? This is a leap. If anything, from what we know of the guy he’s likely left leaning. He does ads for Pfizer which gets him a lot of criticism from Republicans. He also has been very chummy with President Biden both times he’s been to the White House. I’m fairly certain he’s not Republican, much less MAGA affiliated.
So the person who got on my case in a previous post for saying that Travis Kelce is “not the sharpest knife in the drawer” please come forward.
Maybe it’s maturity rather than intelligence, but in either case, I stand by that assertion.
Kateee (below): I think you nailed it with Travis’ “Golden Retriever” branding. Such a clever metaphor (that I can exploit…)
Goldies are loyal and sweet, but you don’t look to them for challenging work like herding sheep or sniffing out explosives or reliably detecting cancer (the overachiever labs are working on that particular task).
Comfort dogs, and children, though-yeah, there is that.
I’ll stop now. This has been too much fun.
Actually, goldens are bred and trained as all types of service dogs. They are smart and easily trainable. Tell some of these blind people with goldens how they are only loyal and sweet but can’t do anything challenging.
Assuming you mean me. I don’t think I “got on your case.” I asked you not to write him off as just a dumb jock, and I stand by that.
The thing that annoys me the most about the people who gush over Travis Kelce is this weird notion that he’s some above-average dude. Guys, he’s a very talented football player and a very, very average guy. He’s probably not stupid but he’s clearly not some Einstein.
And I know this is celeb gossip and not sports gossip and I don’t expect people here to really know this, but Travis isn’t even that charismatic compared to so many other athletes. Of course, most of the athletes I’m thinking of are black and not dating Taylor Swift so I’m sure that’s part of it.
I don’t even hate Travis and he seems like a decent guy but the constant fawning over him grates. He’s a basic dude who’s dating a very famous woman—he’s not some amazing feminist renaissance man who’s here to save the world like some of y’all make him out to be.
Also, what he said about PW WAS pretty vacuous and speaks to someone who doesn’t know much about the history of the monarchy.
Are we really getting bent over this? What did you expect him to say? “That guy was a royal a-hole and his kids are dorks too!” He is nice to everyone, that’s part of his Golden Retriever brand. And he is always happy to promote his brand.
I’m not mad at it, it would be cool to meet royalty in a casual setting and I bet William acting in a “regular dad” way really threw Travis off. Because I’m sure he expected him to roll up in a tophat and monocle, acting all snooty.
Why are people reading so much into this visit that they were nice to the royals. They would be nice to anyone that came to visit them. Taylor and Travis were nice to two children whose mother is sick and I am glad to see smiles on their faces. People are forgetting that Taylor mother had cancer and a brain tumor battle. I am sure is quite sympathetic to those children. Not everything is a us vs them scenario. You can say or feel what you want about their dad but please don’t begrudge these children a little happiness. I’m glad Taylor put smiles on their faces.
I don’t think anyone has begrudged these children a little happiness. Almost everyone has said it was cute that charlotte and George went to the concert and had a good time and met Taylor and Travis. But sorry I’m gonna have to disagree with Travis that William is the mother f*cking coolest, very cool, and so cool and genuine. It doesn’t mean there’s an us v them scenario. I just don’t have much respect for William and will roll my eyes at anyone whether it’s a football player or a random person fawning over him. I’m not even saying I despise Travis or anything. But I am definitely disagreeing with him that William is the mother f*cking coolest😂😂😂
The Taylor and Travis haters are becoming more exhausting and irritating than Travis and Taylor themselves could ever be!
Huh? Not being a fan of the monarchy doesn’t mean someone is a Travis and Taylor hater. Isn’t that the definition of turning something into an either/or situation? Which yeah, is exhausting.
The Taylor and Travis defenders are becoming more exhausting and irritating than Taylor or Travis could ever be!!
I don’t see the issue? When that man had his last Earthshot event and Sterling K. Brown showed up, I didn’t stop liking Sterling. I don’t care much for Travis because he seems like a user, but I could be wrong about that too. Do we really care what Travis thinks about that man or even what Taylor thinks?
Ever since he showed the world he was a bit of a meathead with the mic at the superbowl, I have very, very low expectations of travis. I think he is just a very simple, unproblematic low brow kind of a dude. He will like everyone. Which is not a bad thing.
So Peg makes everyone call him “your royal highness.”
That’s not cool.
For heaven’s sake, Travis likely has no clue what William is really like. I can guarantee you that if he met Harry and Meghan, he’d gush over them, too.
I’m always surprised by how little Americans know about the machinations of the Windsors. When I told my sister and adult nieces about the stories circulating about William, they were shocked. Their interest in the royals doesn’t go beyond reading the covers of magazines while waiting in the grocery checkout line — the names Jason Knauf and Rose Hanbury were completely unfamiliar to them. I’ve told them to read “Spare.” I’m recruiting them to Team Sussex LOL.
Absolutely, this. I come here because almost nobody I know in real life gives a rat’s ass about the royal family. There are so many possible interests in the world. I was surprised to find that two of my literary-minded friends had no idea that Simone Biles was going to the Olympics again (barring some disaster at the trials this weekend). They are totally not into sports, but can tell you what Proust had for breakfast the day before he died. We can’t look at everything through the glass of Sussex vs Windsor.
And there it is people.
The validation that future King of the Heuvo’s was looking for from a footballer with Kelce’s rep.
It’s a three way reciprocal PR arrangement.
Bill better hope that in true footballer style that Kelce does not mess up…..
Genuinely crazy to read so much into this/think that Travis Kelce has literally any interest in the royal family beyond “cool I met the future King of England”. Literally laughed at loud at “Her boyfriend is all about embiggening royals”. I get everyone on this website is keyed into the royal family but MOST AMERICANS are not and don’t give a hoot.
yeah, this line of thinking is weird.
but it’s the Windsors and Taylor, so talking about it here is always going to be… interesting, to say the least.
@DK Agreed, I’m sure he would say the same about meeting H and M.
Thank you, Travis Kelce, for your brilliantly-stated assessment of William. Ugh. So tired of these woefully overexposed individuals.
Hear, hear!
People are definitely reading wayyyyy too much into it. A lot of these comments are such a chronically online take.
Exactly. Wow.
Travis Taylor and Jason are Americans who happen to be very busy and have lives. I doubt they have an opinion on how the British people should structure their government and their diplomats, which is all the royal family is our diplomats. They have no power. They have no ability to impact the world, especially Americans world, so why would any American care about them other than they put on fun weddings and interesting little hats every once in a while, I understand the British it is their government they should care but I try to act like Taylor or Travis or any American gives the flying fig and his actively campaigning for one side makes no sense because it doesn’t matter to us. Travis based his opinion on his interaction with the man which is what most people do when they meet people they judge them on their interaction. I truly doubt any of the people that room know any of the gossip I’m also willing to bet Taylor Swift having been in the tabloids doesn’t believe a single thing written about any member of the royal family because she knows what it’s like, so not sure why this is an issue. William was polite and different than he anticipated someone who was a prince to behave. Again most Americans truly don’t care what the British do with their royal family all they care about is their weddings and when they put on the silly little hats, it’s none of our business .
Well Travis would have to be a pretty shitty person to publicly step on another guest at his girlfriend’s gig, wouldn’t he. Of COURSE he is not going to talk trash about his girlfriend’s high profile guests. I’m not sure why or what any body else would be expecting. 🤷
Can you imagine how nasty the headlines would be if he said anything remotely negative about the Royal Family? Taylor has more shows in London in August. Do people want him to create some kind of international incident?
I don’t really make anything of this. Travis seems to be an easy-going guy who likes people. The next King of the country where his GF is performing comes backstage with his kids and acts halfway normal, he’s going to say “Oh he was so cool, it was great, yada yada. Didn’t know if I had to bow or what.”
I imagine if he met Harry at, say, an athletic event he would say the same thing. I doubt he follows Royal gossip at all or watched the documentary about Harry and Meghan.
Also, he likes the spotlight and seems comfortable with and maybe drawn to people who are in it, whatever the reason. Which isn’t exactly a ringing character endorsement, but neither does it make him a toady or a sell-out.
Risking being called a Taylor “hater” here, but her fans don’t get to have it both ways. They can’t claim her as caring about social justice and applaud her for shouting “down with the patriarchy” and then say that making a conscious decision to post someone who represents the epitome of colonialism and patriarchy on her SM (which is not something she does with regular fans) isn’t a choice. I’m not saying refuse a picture to PW and kids, but let him do like regular fans where he posts it or doesn’t. Don’t make your exception for the BRF.
💯
Pretty sure you might be accused of being a hater, reading too much into it and being chronically online. I actually don’t find Travis’s comments to be that big of a deal. It wouldn’t be me calling him the coolest but hey whatever. I’m sure William was so cool when they met. What I don’t like is people coming on here to shame others for not being impressed by the patriarchal monarchy. Why should we be? So yeah Im laughing at William being called the mother f*cking coolest. And? So what?
I’m starting to think Travis has taken too many hits to the head.
I literally want to vomit. Truly.
I am trying to say this delicately, but you might want to take a breath. This is really not worth getting sick over.
Of course CapiTAYlist Swift would be a royalist! Would there be any doubt? She’s the heir to Madonna’s throne and she follows the money.
Sympathy for Meghan and Harry’s cavalcade abuse doesn’t figure in her actions, no matter how much she complained about being cancelled.
Two guys who love their cocktails too much and too often enjoyed their bro meet and greet. They both probably had a good buzz on. Nothing to see here.
He hasn’t met Harry yet …
My only reaction to this is: So?
Oh my word some of you are taking this wayyyy too seriously. Travis is a hype man. What was he supposed to say?? Do you think he’s invested in Sussex vs Windsor like all the American desk jockeys on this site?
He was being polite and ebullient, so it tracks for him.
JFC some of you need to touch some grass.
You guys, he’s an American football player. No one ever accused football players of being smart. His definition of “cool” is likely, ‘oh, this is a famous person who smiled at me and [pretended] to want to meet me.’
That is a fair assessment but we have some new Taylor defenders who aren’t prepared to admit that Travis isn’t the brightest bulb out there. He’s a great anecdote though to the racist English boyfriend who likes to see black women get abused.
I hope it irks William that Travis called him a motherfucker. That’s the point I would stress. And I’d tell William (as an American) that the superlative adjective “the coolest” does not negative the insult of the second word. Travis is OBVIOUSLY a Harry fan to call William a motherfucker. I will also call William that from now on, “William, the motherfucker.”
I now realize that somewhere along the way I switched up and thought he said the motherfucking coolest when he actually said coolest motherfucker. I stand corrected😂
I actually disagree, it is very common for men in this age bracket to give a compliment by saying someone is such a cool MF or whatever. It’s definitely not an insult.
*What* made him so f—ing cool, Travis?
sorry, “negate,” not “negative.”
Travis is a clout chaser🙄
My god history lessons are very much needed right here. Like holy shit guys it’s time for a field trip to the Bunker Hill Monument here in Boston.
Guys: “Travis doesn’t even KNOW prince william! He doesn’t even know who he is!!” is the saddest defense. He knows that he’s part of the monarchy and monarchies are inherently anti-democratic and completely antithetical to what our country stands for. WARS were fought over this. Tea was dumped. We, as Americans, have fought and died to eschew the existence that the UK has.
And Travis Kelce, like every American, should know his history. Prince william is a punk ass bitch living off the taxpayers dime and representing an outdated institution that has no business existing. There’s nothing “cool” about that balding, racist, noodley dweeb and honestly his whole gross family (besides H&M) should be incessantly criticized by every American, even football players.
Why would any American care? The royal family has not impacted our taxes or lives since the war of 1812? Like seriously this is like caring about the top diplomat from Denmark. Why? It doesn’t impact us.
I am so confused why Travis would have been told that it’s not necessary to bow since it’s not a state visit. Americans are never required to bow or curtsey. And surely “just call me Will” didn’t expect it? I get bowing or curtsying to the monarch if you are trying to ingratiate yourself – dating someone in the family etc – but this does not seem an appropriate use of the flex of “bow to me because of my station/title.”
TC thinks a cheater who threw his sick wife under the bus for a doctored photo is a cool MF? Yeah…OK
I completely agree with DK above. I think Travis is clueless and happy to remain so about the relationships among the members of the RF. All he sees is that a Prince and his two kids came to meet Taylor whom they seem to adore. He praised him accordingly but not with secretive coded meanings
Travis is likely no brain trust, but football is his job. One doesn’t have to be unintelligent to not have followed the English tabloids about the one-sided ‘feud’ between the princes. Better-informed Americans don’t follow the English Royal protocols because …we don’t care.
No way in hell Travis and Jason follow the story. I’ve no doubt they’d say the same about Harry.
Can we talk about how Travis tweeted support for Justin Timberlake after his DUI arrest?
Not cool. Very uncool
Completely agree this is a non-story that the Derangers are latching on to because of the podcast narrative that they love to further.
From a UK pov we have no idea who Travis Kelce is! So the impact of this photo is lessened to, who is that man next to Taylor Swift?!
Also, no one, and certainly no American is obliged to bow to any royal. Why would they? Americans do not have a monarchy