Prince William's animated display at a Taylor Swift concert in London on Friday showed the world that he's "shaking off" some of the worries of the past year. It came after Princess Kate issued a positive health update earlier this month and made her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis.
Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, told Sky News in the U.K. on Monday that the future king's attendance at the concert with his two eldest children and 90,000 Swift fans was a change in tone from the serious issues that have plagued the monarchy since January.
"He's really shaking it off isn't he," he said of fan-shot footage from the concert that showed the prince animatedly dancing during the show.
"They've had a very difficult start to 2024, the Wales family, and there he is shaking it off for everyone to see...It was William's birthday, so I think he brought the kids along partly as a justification. I think we know that he's absolutely loving that concert, isn't he?"
After the show, William and Kate's official social media accounts posted a photograph of the prince with Prince George and Princess Charlotte meeting Swift and posing for a selfie, captioned: "Thank you@taylorswift13 for a great evening! #LondonTSTheErastour."
Shortly afterwards, Swift uploaded one of the photos taken with the royal party and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs football player, Travis Kelce, with the caption: "Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start."
Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start 🇬🇧🇺🇸🤝 @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/VlD6V0PiEL
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 22, 2024
William's visit to the concert came on the day he celebrated his 42nd birthday. The milestone was marked with a joyful photo release from Kensington Palace, showing the prince and his three children jumping from a sand dune in Norfolk, England, near to their home on the Sandringham Estate.
The image was taken by Princess Kate and the royal authored a touching tribute to her husband, writing: "Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx."
The positive output from the palace turns the corner on a period that had been tinged with severity and uncertainty over Kate's health, which started with her stepping out of the public eye in January to undergo abdominal surgery and continued through her March 22 announcement revealing a cancer diagnosis.
On June 14, Kate gave her first major health update since the cancer announcement, which though cautious in tone, was positive in outcome.
"I am making good progress," she said, while acknowledging there are "good days and bad days."
"My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months," she explained. "On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home."
In this, she added that she would attend the Trooping the Colour celebrations and hopes to "join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet."
Kate's appearance at the Trooping the Colour celebrations, which mark King Charles III's official birthday, was widely celebrated, making headline news around the world.
During his wife's illness, William has reduced his public appearances but focused on more high-profile undertakings, entering what fans have dubbed his "statesman era."
The prince traveled to France earlier this month to represent his father at an international D-Day commemorative event alongside world leaders including Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, and Justin Trudeau.
The prince will also play a key role in events marking the state visit of Japan's Emperor Naruhito to Britain which begins on June 25.
Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
