“Am I standing on the stage singing ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’ when I don’t even know the words?”
(Picture: Getty Images)Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, spoke about a moment during a fundraising event at Kensington Palace between Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi that still has him cringing.
In an episode of the Apple Fitness+ series called “Time To Walk”, which was released on Monday, the duke began to tell the story that he couldn’t believe he was even rehashing.
“It’s an annual fundraiser [in 2013], and I turn up, and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet as well,” Prince William said.
He said that he went inside and greeted people trying to be “charming and interactive.”
But once the handshaking bit is over, he can generally relax as he switches to off-duty. However, on this particular night, he sat next to Swift as they watched Bon Jovi perform.
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“And after Jon does his first song, there’s a pause, and she 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.”
The prince, who said he still doesn’t know “what came over” him at that moment, went along with it anyways.
“I got up like a puppy and went, ‘Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I’ll follow you [Swift].’”
Walking up to the stage in “a trance” and almost halfway through Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On a Prayer song, he realised what he was up against and asked himself the following: “Am I standing on the stage singing ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’ when I don’t even know the words?”
As a result, he said that he “desperately” tried to remember some of the lyrics and “sing as hard as I can.”
Despite this, the crowd still loved the moment and expressed their joy about the singing.
“Well, if they’re enjoying it, then the night is for them. So sod it. I can’t be the, the doofus who’s going to ruin it for everyone,” Prince William added.
Elsewhere, Prince William spoke about the songs his mother, Princess Diana, would play for him and his brother Prince Harry to quell the anxiety about returning to boarding school. One of the songs happened to be Tina Turner’s “The Best.”
He also spoke about his mornings with his children, Christmas traditions, and a personal favourite song of his to start Monday off on the right foot: “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC.
Apple is donating to Shout 85258 in the UK, Lifeline in Australia, and the US-based Crisis Text Line, on behalf of the prince.
Hear more about Prince William’s walk here.
