Travis Kelce Answers Prince William Selfie Joke: 'I Wasn't Her Husband Yet'

Travis Kelce has answered Prince William's joke about the famous Prince William selfie with Taylor Swift — and his reply is the line fans are now sharing everywhere. On the 28 October 2026 episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce said he understood exactly why the prince had tried to move him out of the frame, joking: "I wasn't her husband yet." The exchange has turned a two-year-old backstage photo into the week's most-shared Taylor Swift moment.

At a glance

The photo	Wembley Stadium, London, June 2024: William, George, Charlotte, Swift and Kelce
Why it mattered	The first photo Swift shared of herself with Kelce on Instagram; more than 10 million likes, according to USA TODAY
William's joke	On The Graham Norton Show, 23 October 2026: he tried to move Kelce out of the photo
Kelce's reply	On New Heights, 28 October 2026: "I get it, man. I was just a boyfriend at that point."
The punchline	"Move out of the way real quick so we can keep this photo forever"
Where they stand	No hard feelings: "Shout out to Prince William, man," Kelce said
The follow-up joke	Jason Kelce joked about editing Travis out of the picture; Travis offered to send it to Buckingham Palace

What Prince William said on The Graham Norton Show

The story started with a royal confession. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show on 23 October 2026, Prince William joked that he had tried to keep Kelce out of the now-famous selfie, USA TODAY reported. "I hadn't appreciated the significance — and actually, I was trying to move him out the photo," William said, laughing. The significance, USA TODAY explained, was that when Swift shared the selfie on social media, she and Kelce were finally Instagram official. "But Travis kept coming back in, and I couldn't work out why he kept coming back in," William added. "I was trying to move him out so it was just me and Taylor and the children." The photo was taken backstage at Swift's Eras Tour show at Wembley Stadium in London in June 2024, when William celebrated his 42nd birthday at the concert with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Travis Kelce's reply: "I was just a boyfriend at that point"

Kelce took up the story on the 28 October 2026 episode of New Heights, the podcast he hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, JustJared reported. "I get it, man," the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said, explaining that he was only Swift's boyfriend at the time. "I wasn't her husband yet," he added. "You know? We don't really know if this is going to last, so it's kind of just 'Move out of the way real quick so we can keep this photo forever.'" InStyle reported the same lines, including Kelce's hopeful coda: "Yeah. Hopefully this doesn't go south. Otherwise, this photo is not going to be as good." Jason agreed that William's reasoning was understandable and joked that the podcast's graphics team would remove Travis from the picture. Travis then volunteered to send the edited version to Buckingham Palace, JustJared reported. "Shout out to Prince William, man," Kelce added, making clear he was not offended, USA TODAY reported.

Why the Prince William selfie still matters

One photograph carries a surprising amount of history. The Wembley selfie was the first time Swift shared a picture with Kelce on her own Instagram account, JustJared reported, which is why it sent social media into a frenzy. USA TODAY reported that the post generated more than 10 million likes on Instagram. After Swift posted the selfie, the prince's official X account shared a different image of Swift with the three royal family members without Kelce, USA TODAY noted — indicating that William finally got the selfie he had been seeking. The couple began dating in 2023 and married in July 2026, USA TODAY reported, which is what gives Kelce's "I wasn't her husband yet" line its punch: the boyfriend who kept photobombing the frame is now the husband in the family photo. The two men have since become friendly, JustJared reported, with William even making a surprise appearance on New Heights in July 2026.

Why fans are sharing the Prince William selfie story

The clip works because it is funny without being mean. William wanted a keepsake photo with his children; Kelce wanted to be in the picture with his girlfriend. Both got what they wanted in the end. The story also lands differently from the week's other Taylor Swift talking points. Swift spent 26 October 2026 in Nashville being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as its youngest-ever member, as covered in our report on the induction, and the days after that brought a very different fan row, when the Seattle Seahawks' "End Game" post after their 20-3 win over the Chiefs split Swifties, as covered in our report on the Seahawks backlash. The selfie exchange is the lighter third act: no team to defend, no trophy at stake, just a prince, a pop star and a tight end arguing over who stands where in a photograph.

What to watch next

Three things will decide whether this story has a second act. The first is Swift herself: she has not publicly weighed in on the selfie exchange, and any reaction from her would instantly become the next headline. The second is the palace side: William's official account already posted its Kelce-free version once, and fans are watching for any acknowledgement of the edited version. The third is the podcast itself: from William's surprise appearance in July 2026 to Kelce's reply on 28 October 2026, New Heights has become the place where this friendship plays out in public, so the next episode is the likeliest place for any follow-up. For now, the story ends where it started — with a photograph that survived a royal editing attempt, and a joke both men seem happy to keep telling.