In 2013, at the Centrepoint Gala Dinner at Kensington Palace, Jon Bon Jovi was there to perform, but he wasn’t alone. Jon played the opening chord of his band’s record-breaking song “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and then he invited the special guest.
He said, “Just maybe the karaoke kid could come up and sing a few words.” Everyone was eager to know who the karaoke kid was and it was no other than Prince William.
Prince Willaims resisted to the stage but Bon Jovi said, “You’re gonna come up for the chorus.” Bon Jovi sang the first verse of the song and though Prince Willaims was still resisting to come at the stage, he was escorted by Taylor Swift.
The fans witnessed two mega musical stars and a member of the total family collaborating and performing the iconic song “Livin’ On A Prayer.” As Bon Jovi was hitting the chorus, Taylor and Prince Willaims joined with him.
Williams was looking very nervous and his voice couldn’t even be heard, then Taylor brought the mic close to him. As the song went forward, his confidence started to build up. The performance was energetic and as the song ended, Williams held Taylor’s hand and exited from the tag.
Williams later accepted that he was very nervous and uncomfortable to be on the stage. Prince Williams said that it was because of Taylor he went to the stage with The Independent;
“It was all her,” he said. “She literally grabbed him by the arm and ran up on stage, and they both knew the words and sang along.”
He continued, “I give her kudos and I’m grateful to this day because, you know, there’s the future king of England with the biggest pop star in the world singing one of your songs. It’s a great memory.”
During an episode of Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk podcast, Willaims recalled the moment;
“When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi do his performance, I thought, ‘That’s it. My job is done. I’ll get a dinner in a minute, and I might be able to have a chat to some people, and, you know, I’m off-duty a little bit now.’ Little did I think what was going to happen next.
Williams then explained how Taylor helped him to perform “I’m sat next to Taylor Swift. She’s on my left. 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,’” said the Prince of Wales.
“To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I’m cringing at what happened next, and I don’t understand why I gave in. But, frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm, and says, ‘Come with me…’ I got up like a puppy and went, ‘Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I’ll follow you.’”
He continued; “I walked up on stage in a trance, and then sort of halfway through Jon Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ song, I wake up, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘Am I standing on the stage singing “Livin’ on a Prayer” when I don’t even know the words?’
The moment was truly surreal for Prince Williams. After looking at the crowd, he desperately tried to remember the lyrics and make it more enjoyable for them;
“But the Centrepoint young guys and girls were there all loving it and cheering away. So I thought, ‘Well, if they’re enjoying it, then the night is for them. So sod it. I can’t be the doofus who’s going to ruin it for everyone.’ And so I desperately try and remember some of the words and sing as hard as I can.”
Williams even admitted that he was “sweating” heavily, “Beneath my black tie, there was a lot of sweating going on. I felt like a swan, where I was trying to keep myself composed on the outside, but inside, the little legs are paddling fast.”
Taylor Swift really helped Prince Williams to calm down and gave him confidence on the spotlight.